FDA Considering Adding Dosage for Kids Under 2 to Infant and Children’s Tylenol

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve got a feverish, uncomfortable baby at 3am; you dig out the Infant Tylenol…and the bottle says to consult a physician for the correct dosage. Not helpful.

Now that might be about to change. An FDA advisory panel has voted to put dosing information for kids under 2 on the packaging of Infants’ and Children’s Tylenol and other over-the-counter acetaminophen products to help confused parents. Although the FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, it usually does. 
Plus: New AAP Guidelines on Treating a Fever

The FDA says it originally urged parents of children under two to call a doctor for dosing to make sure sick babies got proper care, since a high fever in a child so young can be a symptom of meningitis or other serious illness. But experts agree that this kind of ambiguity leads to confusion and incorrect dosing. Acetaminophen overdoses are most common in kids under 2.

The panel advised the FDA to carefully consider dosing guidelines based on weight rather than age, and market it only as a fever reducer and not pain relief, since too much acetaminophen is dangerous to patients of all ages. 
Plus: No More Concentrated Infant Formula of OTC Acetaminophen