London - Parents are being told to cut down on the amount of liquid paracetamol - such as Calpol - they give to young children.
A review of the doses in popular over-the-counter medicines, including Disprol and Medised, means that for toddlers the amount has been cut in half.
Previously, official guidance meant children aged from one to six could be given up to 10ml of liquid paracetamol four times a day to reduce fever and pain.
But now the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has divided children into more detailed age brackets, with a specific dose for each.
It advises that those aged 12 months to two years should get 5ml four times a day, which is half the previous dose.
The dose for two to four-year-olds is cut from 10ml to 7.5ml, while only those from four to six years get the full 10ml. For babies from six months to a year, their previous dose of 2.5ml is actually doubled to 5ml. The guidance of 2.5ml for babies aged three months to six months is unchanged.
MHRA spokesman Dr June Raine said: “The change is to ensure children get the optimal dose for their age. The change is not because of safety concerns, and parents should not be worried that they have done anything wrong.”
Twelve million bottles of Calpol are sold in the UK every year.
Justine Roberts, of parenting website Mumsnet, said: “One-year-olds and six-year-olds are very different creatures so this is common sense.”
Neal Patel, Royal Pharmaceutical Society spokesman, said: “What’s important is matching doses with age more accurately.” - Daily Mail