Washington: The mixture, paracetamol and ibuprofen, considered just to combat a mild fever could prolong the illness or risk their health in children, a US study warned.
The report, headed by Dr Janice Sullivan, of the University of Louisville Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit, and Dr Henry Farrar, of the University of Arkansas, notes that both produce side effects.
Experts claim that society is in the grip of a ‘fever phobia’ which sees parents too often use both medicines to bring down even slight temperatures. They say as many as half of worried parents give their children the wrong dosage which can even lead to overdoses.
The report, published by the American Academy of Paediatrics, said, a fever simply means the child’s body is fighting the illness far from being a bad sign.
They said alternate doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen which many experts too often advice, known as combination therapy, could do more harm than good.
The report states: ‘By helping parents understand that fever, in and of itself, is not known to endanger a generally healthy child. The fever is not an illness but is, in fact, a physiological mechanism that has beneficial effects in fighting infection.’
Ibuprofen and paracetamol, known collectively as ‘antipyretics’, can be readily bought over the counter as pills or in liquid solutions such as Calpol and Nurofen for Children.
Paracetamol has been linked to asthma while ibuprofen has been said in rare cases to lead to stomach ulcers and even kidney problems.
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