The medical information provided within the posts was provided by Monica Fisher M.D. a licensed pediatrician.
Often we rely upon over the counter painkillers when we are facing a cold, headache, or other illness. Can these be used by children though?
Can 7-year-olds take ibuprofen? 7-year-olds can take ibuprofen. All children’s medicine doses are based on weight. Many 7-year-olds will need to use the liquid form of the medicine to get the correct dose. Carefully read the package of any medicine that you are giving to your children so that you give the correct amount.
It is always important to check to see if you can provide the medicine that you have available to your children. Ibuprofen, being one of the most popular over the counter drugs, can often be found within the average household; as such it is given to children and while the drug in itself is not a problem you want to give your children the correct amount or else you may have issues.
How to Safely Give Ibuprofen to a Child
There are a couple of things you will want to check before you give you your child ibuprofen. You’ll want to check the expiration date, dosage chart, check to make sure you are not giving any other medication to the child, and check how high the child’s temperature is (if given for a fever).
Dosage chart:
Dosage is the most important thing to consider when you are giving a child medicine. While most containers breakdown how much to give a child based on age it is best to give a child the dose that best corresponds to their weight.
| Child’s Weight (Pounds) | 12-17 | 18-23 | 24-35 | 36-47 | 48-59 | 60-71 | 72-95 | 96+ | Ibs |
| Infant Drops (50 mg) | 1.25 | 1.875 | 2.5 | 3.75 | 5 | – | – | – | mL |
| Liquid (100 mg) | 2.5 | 4 | 5 | 7.5 | 10 | 12.5 | 15 | 20 | mL |
| Liquid (1 tsp) | 1/2 | 3/4 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | 2 1/2 | 3 | 4 | tsp |
| Chewable (100 mg tabs) | – | – | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | 2 1/2 | 3 | 4 | tabs |
| Junior Strength (100 mg tabs) | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 1/2 | 3 | 4 | tabs |
| Adult (200 mg tabs) | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | tabs |
You can find this chart and other information of administering the correct dosage of medicine here.
Expiration Date:
If medicine is past its expiration date you don’t want to use it. to properly throw away medicine you want to place it in some other liquid or material that will not be appealing to eat then seal than in a plastic bag ans toss it in the garbage. Medicine can be mistake for candy and there have been cases of both pets and children mistakenly eating them thinking them to be candy.
Don’t Take with Other Medicine:
Ibuprofen is a pretty common drug that appears in many cough and cold medications, as such giving a child ibuprofen on top of other medicine may cause the child to overdose on the medicine. To avoid these either check with your doctor before giving medicine or only have your child on one type of medicine at a time.
Check Your Child’s Temperature:
If your child’s temperature is too high you will not want to provide ibuprofen and instead take them straight to a doctor. If your child’s fever goes over 104 then you should take them to the doctor immediately. Because the doctor may have to administer high doses of medication and other forms of medication you will not want ibuprofen in the child’s system before they meet with the doctor.
What Overdosing on Ibuprofen Does to a Child
Overdosing on ibuprofen can lead to damage to the intestines and stomach, it can lead to further sickness as your body tries to expel the drug, and in rare cases can be fatal. Avoid overdosing by always give what is suggested on the drug container and not taking multiple forms of drugs at the same time.
Symptoms of an overdose on ibuprofen include.
- Ringing in the ears
- nausea
- vomiting
- blurred vision
- rashes
- sweating
- diarrhea
- stomach pain
- heartburn
Severe symptoms include.
- difficulty breathing
- convulsions
- little or no urine
- severe heaches
- seizures
- low blood pressure
If you suspect that someone has overdosed contact poison control in your area. To reach the poison center in the US call 1-800-222-1222. Stay on the line for further instructions and be prepared to provide the age, weight, height and gender of the victim. How much ibuprofen was taken, when it was taken, and if the person also took other drugs, supplements or alcohol.
Treating an overdose should be done by doctors only. They will monitor the breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and other vital signs as they provide other treatment.
Treatments include: using laxatives, activated charcoal, medication to force the patient to throw up. stomach pumping (if the drug was taken recently), breathing support. and intravenous fluids.
Why Avoid Aspirin for Children
While aspirin is similar in a lot of ways to ibuprofen it is something that you don’t want to give your kids. Aspirin used in children has been linked to a potentially fatal illness called Reye’s syndrome.
The risk of contracting this illness grows if the aspirin was taken when the child’s body was weak from infection. Such as when the child has a fever, the flu, or the chicken pox. There is not a lot known about Reye’s syndrome besides the link between aspirin and it as well as that it is not contagious.
To avoid the concern of facing this disease use only ibuprofen or acetaminophen until you are 19 years of age or older. ibuprofen and acetaminophen are both useful for reducing fevers and pain just like aspirin.
Finally check other medicine that you are giving your children as they may have aspirin in them. Read what you have your children take as medicine carefully.
Related Questions
How long does it take for Ibuprofen to work? It should take less than an hour for Ibuprofen to kick in. But it can be within someone’s system for up to eight hours this is why you should only take ibuprofen every 6 to 8 hours to avoid overdosing. Additionally, read the other medicine that you are taking so that you don’t overdose throguh the ibuprofen used in other medicine.
Does ibuprofen make you tired? Normal ibuprofen does not make you tired. there are forms of ibuprofen that can make you tired. Mainly ibuprofen p.m. These forms of ibuprofen combine ibuprofen with a sedative making it have the effect of having you fall asleep. Avoid using Ibuprofen to constantly fall asleep as it may have some adverse effects.
