Giving babies paracetamol raises their risk of asthma

The study results were published recently in The Lancet and show that those babies given pain killers for fever in the first year of life had a 46% increase in their risk of developing asthma later in life.

The study was carried out in 31 countries and is the largest so far to look at the link between asthma and paracetamol use. Parents of children aged six and seven were asked questionnaires about symptoms of asthma, eczema and related allergic conditions in addition to details on paracetamol use for fever in the child's first year of life and the past 12 months.

The results also showed that higher doses and more regular use of the drug are associated with a greater risk of developing asthma.

Analysis of current use in 103 000 children showed those who had used paracetamol more than once a month in the past year had a three-fold increased risk of asthma compared with those who had not taken the drug in the past 12 months. Use of paracetamol was also associated with more severe asthma symptoms. And risk of eczema and hayfever was also increased.