Children given acetaminophen during the first year of life to reduce fever are more likely to develop asthma later on, a new study finds.
These children are also more likely to develop rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema when they reach age 6 to 7, according to the report in the Sept. 20 issue of The Lancet.
"If this association is causative, it would suggest that acetaminophen use is a risk factor for asthma and may explain the asthma has become more common," said lead researcher Dr. Richard Beasley, from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington.
Since this study can’t definitively say that acetaminophen is a cause of asthma, its use for children shouldn’t be changed, Beasley added. "Acetaminophen is the preferred drug for relief of pain and fever in childhood," he said.
Beasley thinks, however, acetaminophen should not be used routinely for childhood fever, but reserved for high fevers. "Acetaminophen is still the preferred agent, but the large amounts of acetaminophen used around the world are unnecessary," he said. "Its use should be limited to treat high fevers." Click here, to read full story.
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