At some point in this parenting journey, you’ll need to give a child some Benadryl. Maybe they’ve got a nasty batch of bug bites, maybe they’ve got inexplicable hives. Whatever it is, you may find yourself semi-frantically Googling the correct Children’s Benadryl dosage for kids.
It’s incredibly important to give the correct Benadryl dosage to your child.
(Of course, this isn’t medical advice — it’s common sense. For specific information about your child’s health, talk to their doctor!)
Benadryl, like any drug, can be dangerous to your child if the dosage isn’t calculated correctly. In order to administer the correct dosage, you need to know your child’s age and weight.
The age thing should be pretty easy. I mean, occasionally it feels like a pop quiz when someone asks me how old my kids are (I have four boys fairly close together), but I can always figure it out.
The weight question can be a little more challenging when figuring out benadryl dosage.
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I’m more aware of how much I weigh than I’d like to be, but my kids? Well . . . those numbers tend to float in one ear and out the other.
Plus, when your children are younger, this number changes frequently and smaller changes can really matter.
Fortunately, I have an older version of this bathroom scale that’s still going strong after 15 years. I regularly make one of my kids hop on so I can get a quick estimate to make sure I’m using an accurate weight to calculate the correct medication dosage for my kids.
The correct Benadryl dosing for kids is, of course, printed directly on the box. Many parents pitch the box, but fortunately, it’s also printed on the plastic bottle itself. Unfortunately, you’ll probably notice that it doesn’t provide the correct dosing information for children under a certain age or weight (typically, age two).
The best source for your Children’s Benadryl dosage is your kid’s pediatrician.
My pediatrician always told us how much to give, but doctor’s appointments with kids are stressful. I would understand him perfectly in the office, but thirty minutes later, he may as well not have told me at all.
Parenting time is like dog years –- 30 minutes is more or less the equivalent of seven years.
If you’re like me, you’ll be happy to know that the Pediatric Associates of NYC have this information easily available online. In fact, their dosage chart is actually the first result that comes up when I Google “Children’s Benadryl dosage”! It may not be your child’s pediatric practice, but at least it’s a pediatric practice.
The next best dosage source for your child is from a reliable website.
Let’s assume you don’t have a pediatrician or they don’t update their website. Many reputable, trustworthy sites publish the correct Benadryl dosages for kids.
I like St. Louis Children’s website because it’s super easy to locate the table with the dosing information. When you’re in a hurry, you don’t want to read 5,000 facts about Benadryl before you get the information you need.
Of course, you can always go directly to the Children’s Benadryl website. No matter what form (liquids, chewables, gel capsules), you know they’ll have you covered.
(Lost the syringe or cups that came with your Bendaryl product? These medication syringes are easy and cheap — and come in a variety of sizes.)
Wherever you find your Benadryl dosage for kids, please just make sure it’s a reputable source. Your child’s life depends on it!