Cough Suppressant Dosage for Child
Recommended cough suppressants:
- Delsym (12 months and up)
- Benylin Pediatric (6 months and up)
- Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant (6 months and up)
See below for dosage charts.
Ingredient:
- Dextromethorphan
The Dextromethorphan (DM for short) is a cough suppressant. It acts by blocking the cough reflex center in the brain. It will offer temporary relief (a few hours) to that nagging cough caused by a “tickle” in the throat.
When to Use
Frequent cough, no runny nose or nasal congestion.
I would use this type of medication for dry coughs especially at night if the cough prevented my child from going to sleep or staying asleep. Suppressing the cough will usually help your child get some much-needed rest for a few hours. Daytime coughs usually don’t bother a child and I only used a cough medication during the day if the cough was interfering with baby’s eating, napping and playing. If your child’s cough sounds very moist like he’s coughing on secretions and there is a lot of mucous in the nose, then I would use a “multi-symptom” combination of decongestant, antihistamine and cough suppressant. In this case it will also be important to follow the natural cold treatments as well.
Safety
It is safe to use in children six months (12 months for Delsym) and older for upper respiratory illness (such as colds and sinus infections). If your child has a lower respiratory tract illness (like pneumonia, bronchiolitis or asthma) you should ask your physician before using cold or cough remedies. Side effects of nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness infrequently occur with DM-containing cough syrups.
Cough Suppressant Dosage for Delsym
Delsym is different than other cough suppressants because it is an extended release suspension designed to last for 12 hours.
Ingredient: Dextromethorphan 30mg per 5ml (1 tsp) extended release
| <12 months | Not recommended |
| 12-23 months | Ask your doctor |
| 2-5 years | Ask your doctor |
| 6-12 years | 5ml (1 tsp) every 12 hours |
| >12 years (>95lbs) | 10ml (2 tsp) every 12 hours |
Benylin Pediatric Cough Suppressant Dosage
Ingredient: Dextromethorphan 7.5mg per 5ml (1 tsp)
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-6 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-12 years (48-95lbs) | 10 ml (2 tsp) every 6-8 hours |
| >12 years (>95lbs) | 20 ml (4 tsp) every 6-8 hours |
Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant Dosage
Ingredient: Dextromethorphan 7.5mg per 5ml (1 tsp)
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-6 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-12 years (48-95lbs) | 10 ml (2 tsp) every 6-8 hours |
| >12 years (>95lbs) | 20 ml (4 tsp) every 6-8 hours |
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.