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Children's medication labeling carries weight with the FDA

Agency panel recommends acetaminophen dosage based on a child’s weight, not age.

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My 20-month-old grandson Dustin is a bit on the small side. When my daughter Brittany takes him to the family practice physician, his percentile ranking in height and weight is based on a comparison to others of his age. Yet when Dustin is sized up at our local Women’s Infants-Children food and nutrition office, they determine his percentile growth ranking not based on a comparison with others of his age, but with how his height matches with his weight, and vice-versa. That makes a difference.

When it comes to using weight measurements versus age in determining dosing for children’s medications, including acetaminophen, apparently a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is tipping the scales in favor of weight. Specifically, the panel is recommending, “dosing for children’s acetaminophen be based primarily on the child’s weight rather than age.” That’s according to a May 19 Wall Street Journal Health blog, “Panel calls for label changes on acetaminophen products.”

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