If your baby's running a fever or having pain from teething or an ear infection, you may wonder whether it's safe to give medication to reduce fever and relieve pain. The short answer is yes – your baby can safely have acetaminophen (Tylenol) at this age. (For ibuprofen, wait until your baby is 6 months or older.)

Now that your baby's older than 3 months, you don't have to call the doctor before giving a dose. But it's still a good idea.

"Most pediatricians like to hear from a parent who is considering giving pain medication or a fever-reducer such as acetaminophen to a child younger than 6 months," says pediatrician Susan E.C. Sorensen.

That doesn't mean you have to bring your baby to see the doctor for every low-grade fever or bump on the head, but you should at least phone the office and talk to the doctor or nurse on call.

Figuring out the right dose of pain reliever for children under age 2 can be tricky. The labels on most children's medicine, including acetaminophen and ibuprofen, say "check with a physician" for children in this age range. To take out the guesswork, ask your child's doctor for the appropriate dose at each doctor visit. Because infants grow so quickly – and the dose is determined by weight rather than age – the right dose changes over time. If you know your child's weight, you can also find the correct dose on BabyCenter's acetaminophen dosage chart.

It's also important to measure the dose carefully with the device provided by the manufacturer. Don't use regular household teaspoons or even calibrated baking spoons to measure medication either. These spoons don't always provide an exact measurement and it's too easy to make a mistake and overdose your baby. If you lose the appropriate measuring device for your pain reliever, ask a pharmacist for a medication measuring device.

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