Motrin Child Dosage Chart: Weight-Based Ibuprofen Dosing for Parents

By Kurt Hansen, MD · Emergency Physician

The drug label on children's ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) groups kids into a few wide age bands, and those bands cover an enormous range of body weights. A 2-year-old at the bottom of the "2–3 years" band can weigh half as much as a 3-year-old at the top — yet the label recommends the same dose for both. That is why emergency physicians dose by weight, not by age: a weight-based dose follows your child's actual body size and reduces the chance of under- or over-dosing. Standard pediatric guidance supports ibuprofen for children 6 months and older — younger infants should not be given ibuprofen.

The calculator below uses the standard 10 mg/kg pediatric ibuprofen dose (maximum 400 mg per single dose, no more than 4 doses in 24 hours, and at least 6–8 hours between doses). Ibuprofen should be given with food or milk to reduce stomach upset. Enter your child's weight, confirm the formulation you have at home, and the calculator returns the exact mL for the Children's Motrin 100 mg / 5 mL suspension in front of you.

Calculate your child's ibuprofen dose

How Perfect Dose calculates doses — FAQ

Looking for generic ibuprofen rather than the Motrin brand? See Ibuprofen Child Dosage Chart: Weight-Based Dosing for Parents.

About the Author

Kurt Hansen, MD, is an Emergency Physician and the founder of Perfect Dose App. He has counseled thousands of parents on pediatric medication dosing during more than a decade of emergency medicine practice.