How much ibuprofen does a 13 year old need?

Safety & Prevention

​​​​Ibuprofen (also known as Motrin® and Advil®) is a medicine used to reduce fever and pain. It is an "over-the-counter" medicine, meaning that you can get it without a doctor’s prescription.

This table* can help you figure out the right amount to give. (Find a print-friendly version here.) Use your child’s weight to decide on the right amount to give. If you do not know your child’s weight, use your child’s age. Be sure to check with your child’s doctor to make sure you are giving the right amount.

• Age of child: Do not use ibuprofen in children who are less than 6 months old unless your child's doctor tells you to. This is because it has not been found to be safe in children less than 6 months old. The use of the medicine in children less than 6 months is also not approved by the FDA. It is also best not to give medicines with more than one ingredient in it to children less than 6 years of age.
  

• Dosage: Determine by finding child's weight in the top row of the dosage table.

• Measuring the dose for liquid medicines (should be in "mL" or metric units):It is easier to give the right amount of liquid medicine when using a syringe than when using a kitchen teaspoon or tablespoon. Use the syringe or dosing cup that comes with the medicine. If a tool does not come with the medicine, ask your pharmacist for one.
  

• Ibuprofen drops: Ibuprofen infant drops come with a measuring syringe.

• Adult dosage: 400 mg

• How often to give the medicine (frequency): You can give ibuprofen every 6-8 hours if needed.

More information

• Fever and Your Baby
• How to Take a Child's Temperature
  
• How to Use Liquid Medicines for Children
• Using Over-the-Counter Medicines with Your Child
  
• Ibuprofen: Info for Consumers (National Library of Medicine)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Ibuprofen for children - Brand names: Nurofen for Children, Calprofen, Brufen

Find out how ibuprofen for children treats pain and inflammation (swelling) including cold symptoms, teething, toothache, sprains and strains, and reduces a high temperature, and how to take it.

Taking ibuprofen can help children feel better when they have colds or minor injuries. As with all drugs, it is important to give children the correct dose. Ibuprofen is safe when taken as directed. But taking too much of this medicine can be harmful.

Ibuprofen is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It can help:

• Reduce aches, pain, sore throat, or fever in children with a cold or the flu
• Relieve headaches or toothaches
• Reduce pain and swelling from an injury or broken bone

Ibuprofen can be taken as liquid or chewable tablets. To give the correct dose, you need to know your child's weight.

You also need to know how much ibuprofen is in a tablet, teaspoon (tsp), 1.25 milliliters (mL), or 5 mL of the product you are using. You can read the label to find out.

• For chewable tablets, the label will tell you how many milligrams (mg) are found in each tablet, for example 50 mg per tablet.
• For liquids, the label will tell you how many mg are found in 1 tsp, in 1.25 mL, or in 5mL. For example, the label may read 100 mg/1 tsp, 50 mg/1.25 mL, or 100 mg/5 mL.

For syrups, you need some type of dosing syringe. It may come with the medicine, or you can ask your pharmacist. Make sure to clean it out after every usage.

If your child weighs 12 to 17 pounds (lbs) or 5.4 to 7.7 kilograms (kg):

• For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 1.25 mL dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 teaspoon (tsp) on the label, give a ½ tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 2.5 mL dose.

If your child weighs 18 to 23 lbs or 8 to 10 kg:

• For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 1.875 mL dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a ¾ tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 4 mL dose.

If your child weighs 24 to 35 lbs or 10.5 to 15.5 kg:

• For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 2.5 mL dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 1 tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 5 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 2 tablets.

If your child weighs 36 to 47 lbs or 16 to 21 kg:

• For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 3.75 mL dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 1½ tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 7.5 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 3 tablets.

If your child weighs 48 to 59 lbs or 21.5 to 26.5 kg:

• For infant drops that say 50mg/1.25 mL on the label, give a 5 mL dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 2 tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 10 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 4 tablets.
• For junior-strength tablets that say 100 mg tablets on the label, give 2 tablets.

If your child weighs 60 to 71 lbs or 27 to 32 kg:

• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 2½ tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 12.5 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 5 tablets.
• For junior-strength tablets that say 100 mg tablets on the label, give 2½ tablets.

If your child weighs 72 to 95 lbs or 32.5 to 43 kg:

• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 3 tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 15 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 6 tablets.
• For junior-strength tablets that say 100 mg tablets on the label, give 3 tablets.

If your child weighs 96 lbs or 43.5 kg or more:

• For liquid that says 100 mg/1 tsp on the label, give a 4 tsp dose.
• For liquid that says 100 mg/5 mL on the label, give a 20 mL dose.
• For chewable tablets that say 50 mg tablets on the label, give 8 tablets.
• For junior-strength tablets that say 100 mg tablets on the label, give 4 tablets.

Try giving your child the medicine with food to avoid stomach upset. If you are not sure how much to give your child, call your health care provider.

Do not give ibuprofen to children under 6 months of age, unless directed by your provider. You should also check with your provider before giving ibuprofen to children under age 2 years or less than 12 pounds or 5.5 kilograms.

Make sure you don't give your child more than one medicine with ibuprofen. For example, ibuprofen can be found in many allergy and cold remedies. Read the label before giving any medicine to children. You should not give medicine with more than one active ingredient to children under age 6 years.

There are important child medicine safety tips to follow.

• Carefully read all of the instructions on the label before giving your child medicine.
• Make sure you know the strength of the medicine in the bottle you purchased.
• Use the syringe, dropper, or dosing cup that comes with your child's liquid medicine. You can also get one at your local pharmacy.
• Make sure you are using the right unit of measurement when filling medicine. You may have the option of milliliters (mL) or teaspoon (tsp) dosing.
• If you are not sure what medicine to give your child, call your provider.

Children with certain medical conditions or taking certain medicines should not take ibuprofen. Check with your provider.

Be sure to post the number for the poison control center by your home phone. If you think your child has taken too much medicine, call the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. It is open 24 hours a day. Signs of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and abdominal pain.

Go to the nearest emergency room. Your child may need:

• Activated charcoal. Charcoal stops the body from absorbing the medicine. It has to be given within an hour. It does not work for every medicine.
• To be admitted to the hospital to be monitored.
• Blood tests to see what the medicine is doing.
• To have his or her heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure monitored.

Call your provider if:

• You are not sure what dose of medicine to give your infant or child.
• You are having trouble getting your child to take medicine.
• Your child's symptoms do not go away when you would expect.
• Your child is an infant and has signs of illness, such as fever.

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Ibuprofen dosage table for fever and pain. Healthychildren.org. www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Ibuprofen-for-Fever-and-Pain.aspx. Updated May 23, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2021.

Aronson JK. Ibuprofen. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:5-12.

Theobald JL, Kostic MA. Poisoning. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 77.

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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