Expert: Moshe Adler, MD - 1/21/2005

Question
Our daughter is 7 months old and 17 lbs 5 ozs. She has a runny nose and slight fever. This is the first day of her cold. Our pediatrician is not reachable until tomorrow morning.
What dosage for children's tylenol and benadryl should I give her?

Answer
Actually, you probably shouldn't use either tylenol or benadryl.  If she just has a slight fever, it's better not to treat it.  Viruses and bacteria don't live as well at higher temperatures.  That's one of the body's mechanisms for fighting infection.  If it gets higher (102 or more) or she is really fussy, then you can give her some tylenol.  The dose for her weight is one to one and a half droppers of the Tylenol Infant Drops (0.8 to 1.2 ml) every four to six hours as needed.  I wouldn't use benadryl either--it really doesn't do much for colds, and is more likely to cause undesireable side effects like irritability or excessive sleepiness.  If she does get fussy or cranky, or gets a higher fever, call your doctor.  She might be developing an ear infection or pneumonia or some other infection.  

Moshe Adler, MD