Acetaminophen and Asthma in Children

Abstract

An increase in asthma prevalence and increase in use of acetaminophen has led way to researchers investigating the potential role of acetaminophen in asthma. This article reviews the existing literature to determine the type and quality of evidence available to determine an association between acetaminophen or paracetamol use and asthma in children. Seven studies that specifically reviewed data in the pediatric population as it related to acetaminophen or paracetamol use with the diagnosis of asthma were included in this review, all of which show some potential for association of acetaminophen and asthma in children. The questionnaires used in these studies stemmed from the ISAAC study and were modified to meet the needs of the population and the study endpoints. A variation of this questionnaire was used to ask about demographic, medication use, and possible risk factors for asthma. In most studies, parents were asked to recall this information over periods of time ranging from months to up to 6 years. The retrospective, observational designs of the studies make it impossible to concede that either acetaminophen or paracetamol is a causative agent of asthma in children. It is recommended that asthma educators counsel families on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation on management of fever in children, which will hopefully lead to a decrease in exposure of any antipyretic in children.