Ibuprofen dose for children by weight

Ibuprofen for children is dosed by weight: 5–10 mg per kilogram, every 6–8 hours, at most 3 doses a day. Two hard limits: not under 3 months of age and not under 5 kg.

Last updated: 24 September 2026

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The rule from the leaflet

• Single dose: 5–10 mg/kg; for fever usually 10 mg/kg.
• Interval: at least 6 hours.
• Maximum: 3 doses a day and no more than 30 mg/kg per day.
• From: 3 months and 5–6 kg depending on the product.

Regular vs Forte: double the strength

Children's ibuprofen syrups come as 100 mg/5 ml and 200 mg/5 ml (Forte). For a 15 kg child, 150 mg is 7.5 ml of the regular syrup but only about 4 ml of the Forte one.

When not to give ibuprofen

• Dehydration, vomiting or diarrhoea with poor drinking — ibuprofen stresses the kidneys; use paracetamol.
• Chickenpox — NSAIDs are linked to skin complications.
• Asthma, stomach ulcers, bleeding disorders, NSAID allergy — only after talking to a doctor.

When is the next dose allowed?

Don't want to calculate and write this down every time?
Oh Fever does it from your child's profile and the product you use: it converts the leaflet dose to weight, counts down to the next dose and watches the daily limit — on iPhone and Apple Watch. Free for one child.

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