This liquid, chewable, or tablet antihistamine is used to help any type of allergic reaction subside. The most common reason to use this is for hives. It can also help with itching and swelling from rashes, insect bites and stings, and allergic food reactions. It can be used at any age, but you should consult with your pediatrician if you feel your child under four years of age needs a dose. It lasts for about six hours and may make a child drowsy. Never use diphenhydramine for the purposes of sedation; improper use can cause oversedation and may be harmful.
Benadryl Dosing:
This antihistamine can be given every six hours as needed.
- Children under 2 years of age: consult a doctor
- 2 and 3 years: 12.5 milligrams
- 4 and 5 years: 18.75 milligrams
- 6 to 11 years: 25 milligrams
- 12 years and older: 50 milligrams
Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his “little patients” call him, has been advising busy parents on how to raise healthier families for over 40 years. He received his medical training at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the world’s largest children’s hospital, where he was associate ward chief of the newborn intensive care unit before serving as the chief of pediatrics at Toronto Western Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. He has served as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and University of California: Irvine. As a father of 8 children, he coached Little League sports for 20 years, and together with his wife Martha has written more than 40 best-selling books and countless articles on nutrition, parenting, and healthy aging. He serves as a health consultant for magazines, TV, radio and other media, and his AskDrSears.com website is one of the most popular health and parenting sites. Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 television programs, including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah, Today, The View, and Dr. Phil, and was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in May 2012. He is noted for his science-made-simple-and-fun approach to family health.