Early exposure to paracetamol may raise the risk of a child developing asthma, researchers warn today.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease during childhood, say researchers led by Dr Maria Magnus of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway. As prenatal and infant exposure to paracetamol has been suggested as a possible contributing factor for asthma, the team investigated further.
"Paracetamol is the most commonly used analgesic among pregnant women and infants, and uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance," they write in The International Journal of Epidemiology.
They looked at paracetamol exposure before birth and in the first six months of life among 53,169 children. At age three, 5.7% of the children had current asthma, and the rate at age seven was 5.1%.
Analysis highlighted a raised asthma risk at three years of age with paracetamol exposure before birth (13% raised risk) and afterwards (29% raised risk).
"The results were consistent for asthma at seven years," they report, adding: "Maternal paracetamol use outside pregnancy and paternal paracetamol use were not associated with asthma development."
Dr Magnus said: "Uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance, as paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller among pregnant women and infants."
The link between prenatal paracetamol exposure and asthma was similar if the painkiller was used for respiratory tract infections, flu, fever or pain, they add. But the team point out that findings from the study do not presently warrant any changes in the recommendations regarding the use of paracetamol among pregnant women.
Magnus, M. C. et al. Prenatal and infant paracetamol exposure and development of asthma: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The International Journal of Epidemiology 10 February 2016; doi: 10.1093/ije/dyv366
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