Acetaminophen
(Tylenol®) is helpful in reducing circumcision discomfort. It doesn’t help for what the baby might
feel at the time of the circumcision, but it does decrease whatever discomfort
there might be afterwards. It should
be given 30 to 60 minutes in advance, and can be given afterwards every 4-6
hours if the baby seems uncomfortable, but do not exceed 5 doses in 24
hours. You want to purchase a
preparation for infants,
given with a dropper. Do not purchase products for
toddlers or older children, given by the spoonful. It is fine to use store brand or generic products, you don’t
need to get name-brand Tylenol®, which is more expensive. Most pediatricians do not recommend
ibuprofen (Motrin®) for newborns.
If you have
previously used Infants’ Tylenol you should be aware that packaging and dosing
changed in the summer of 2011. The
concentration of the medication in ALL acetaminophen preparations was changed
to make it more dilute, so that in order to give the same dose (milligrams of
acetaminophen) with the new preparations, it is necessary to give 3 times as
much liquid as was needed with the old preparations.
If your baby
weighs less than 6 pounds, the dose
should be 20mg. This is 0.6ml of
the new preparation (halfway up to the 1.25ml line on the syringe). If your baby weighs 6 pounds or more, the dose should be
40mg. This is 1.25ml of the new
preparation.
6/2012
