Recent media reports have again raised concerns for parents about whether giving their child paracetamol will increase the risk of asthma. Several studies have suggested an association between paracetamol use and the development of asthma. However, the presence of an association does not mean that paracetamol causes asthma. Paracetamol is a very common childhood medication and is still the preferred drug for pain relief and fever in children.
A paper by a group of international researchers that was published in August 2010 suggested a link between taking paracetamol and developing asthma in teenagers. At the end of September, a group of New Zealand researchers also published evidence suggesting a link between paracetamol and the development of allergic conditions. These results were similar to the conclusion to a previous study examining the relationship in younger children, however not all studies have agreed with these findings. A study published in September in the British Medical Journal by researchers studying children from birth through to early school age in Melbourne found no evidence to suggest that paracetamol use at a young age caused asthma. The researchers pointed out that respiratory infections are a known a risk factor for developing asthma, and are also a common reason why children are given paracetamol. In their study those children who took paracetamol for non-respiratory illnesses showed no increased risk of asthma.
However, these types of studies are not specifically designed to show if paracetamol actually causes asthma; they can only state that both things have happened. Different types of studies are required to try to work this out. More specific trials must be carried out to determine if there is a causal link; that is, whether giving children paracetamol could lead to any health impacts later in life. These studies have not been conducted to date.
Until this is known paracetamol remains the preferred drug for pain relief and fever in children, especially as other alternatives such as ibuprofen may trigger asthma symptoms in a small proportion of asthmatics. It is however worth noting that the World Health Organisation guidelines recommend paracetamol only be used in children with a fever of 38.5°C or above.