The first 24 hours of a fever
An hour-by-hour playbook for the start of a child's fever: what to do, what to watch for, and when to stop watching and start calling.
When should I see a doctor for my child's fever?
Temperature thresholds by age, the red flags every parent should know, and when to call NHS 111 vs your GP vs 999.
Tracking a cold or fever with a young child
The five things worth tracking when your child is unwell, why patterns matter more than snapshots, and how to keep both parents on the same page.
Teething pain: medicine, gels, and what actually works
What helps a teething baby, what doesn't, and the gels and necklaces the NHS now warns against.
Should you wake a sleeping child to give Calpol?
Sleep beats medicine for most viral illnesses. Here's when to leave them, when to wake them, and the middle-of-the-night decision tree.
Calpol Infant vs Calpol 6+: which one when?
Two pink bottles, same drug, different concentrations. Here's how the doses compare and what should actually be in your medicine drawer.
How long does Calpol take to work?
About 30 minutes to start, peak at 60–90 minutes, lasts 4–6 hours. The timeline of a single dose, and why "it's not working" usually isn't true.
Calpol or Ibuprofen: a parent's quick guide
Two of the most common children's medicines, side by side. What's actually in each, when each is typically used, and the dosing rules from the bottle.
Calpol and ibuprofen together: how to alternate safely
You can use both, you just shouldn't give them at the same time. A simple stagger that buys 3 more hours of cover, with a worked example.
Ibuprofen for children: the essential guide
When to reach for ibuprofen over paracetamol, when to avoid it (asthma, chickenpox, dehydration), and the dosing chart by age and weight.
Calpol dose by age: the full chart
The complete UK dosing chart for Calpol Infant and Calpol 6+, plus what to do if you give a dose at the wrong concentration.
Why we don't say "safe to give"
One of the first decisions we made when designing Dosey: never use the word "safe". Here's why.