Pediatric Dose Calculator

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Estimate medication dosages for children based on weight, age, or clinical rules.

Child & Medication Info

Adult Dose

Dose Unit

Child's Weight

Child's Age

yrs

Body Surface Area (optional)

m²

Disclaimer: This tool is for educational purposes only. Pediatric dosing is complex and errors can be dangerous. Always follow a physician's prescription and double-check with a pharmacist.

Calculated Dosages

Enter the child's metrics to estimate the appropriate dose.

About this calculator

Overview

Pediatric dosing is not just about scaling down adult doses. Children metabolize drugs differently than adults. Common rules of thumb like Clark's Rule or Young's Rule provide estimates, but many modern medications use precise weight-based dosing (e.g., mg/kg).

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Pro Tips

For infants under 1 year, specialized formulas like Fried's Rule are sometimes used.
Always use a calibrated measuring device (like an oral syringe) rather than a kitchen spoon.
If you are calculating a weight-based dose (e.g., 10 mg/kg), multiply the weight in kg by the dosage rate.
Be extra careful with unit conversions (e.g., kg vs lbs, mg vs mcg).

Fun Facts

"Clark's Rule assumes an average adult weight of 150 lbs (approx. 70 kg)."
"Young's Rule is based on age and is generally used for children aged 1-12."
"The BSA method is considered one of the most accurate scaling methods because it accounts for metabolic activity."
"Always check if a medication has a 'maximum pediatric dose' which is usually the adult dose."

Formula: Clark's Rule: (Weight / 150) × Adult Dose