Recommended Ibuprofen Dosage for a 5-Year-Old Child
The recommended dose of ibuprofen for a 5-year-old child is 10 mg/kg every 6-8 hours orally, with a maximum of 40 mg/kg/day. 1
Dosing Guidelines
- For children aged 5 years, the standard dose is 10 mg/kg per dose, which can be administered every 6-8 hours as needed 1, 2
- The maximum daily dose should not exceed 40 mg/kg/day 1
- For a typical 5-year-old weighing approximately 18-20 kg, this would translate to approximately 180-200 mg per dose 1
- The effective dose range has been clinically established between 7.5-10 mg/kg 2
Administration Considerations
- Ibuprofen can be given with food to reduce potential gastrointestinal side effects 2
- Maximum fever reduction typically occurs 3-4 hours after administration 2
- Liquid formulations are often preferred for children this age for ease of administration and dosing accuracy 3
- Parents should use weight-based dosing rather than age-based dosing to ensure accuracy 4
Safety Profile
- Ibuprofen is generally well-tolerated in children and has been shown to be safer in overdose compared to other analgesics like acetaminophen 2
- Clinical experience suggests that children typically tolerate ibuprofen better than adults 2
- Short-term use of ibuprofen is considered safe in children older than 3 months with appropriate attention to hydration 3
Common Pitfalls and Caveats
- Studies show that approximately 51% of parents misdose antipyretics, with 26% specifically misdosing ibuprofen 4
- Parents who base medication dosing on weight rather than age are less likely to give inaccurate doses 4
- The rectal route of administration should be avoided in young children due to erratic absorption 3
- Exceeding the recommended maximum number of doses in 24 hours is a common error and should be avoided 5
- Parents should be advised to carefully record all dose times to prevent accidental overdosing 5
Pharmacokinetics
- The relationship between dose and response for ibuprofen in children is linear over the range of 5-10 mg/kg 2
- The mean elimination half-life is approximately 1.6 hours in children aged 3-10 years 6
- There appears to be no significant relationship between age and ibuprofen kinetics within the pediatric population 6