The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has revised their instructions around the amount of paracetamol a child should be given.
Paracetamol is very commonly used to relieve the symptoms of childhood illnesses such as teething pains, colds and common viruses. More than 8 in 10 children will be given the drug before they are six months old.
Previously, adults were advised to administer 10ml of medicines such as Calpol up to four times a day for all children aged between one and six years old.
The new guidelines apply for children aged between one and four years. Babies under 2 months old should not be given paracetamol, and babies aged between two and three months should be given 2.5ml (half a teaspoon). The recommended dose is one initially, then another 4-6 hours later.
Between three and six months, the child can receive 2.5ml four times a day. This dose rises to 5ml from six months to two years of age, and 7.5ml from two to four years old.
The previous guideline limit of 10ml four times a day still applies for children between four and six years old.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that applying the same restrictions to children in such a wide age group was not appropriate. A spokesman said that the recommended limits were revised to “ensure children get the optimal dose of paracetamol suitable for their age. [The revision] is not because of safety concerns.”
The new guidelines will now be printed on the labels of children’s medicines.
