Early-life exposure to paracetamol has been associated with an increased risk of eczema and wheeze in observational studies, but whether this risk differs from that associated with ibuprofen remains unclear. To address this question, a study evaluated whether paracetamol, compared with ibuprofen administered as needed for fever or pain during the first year of life, is associated with the risk of eczema and bronchiolitis at 1 year of age among 3,908 infants. The study found no significant difference between paracetamol and ibuprofen in the risk of eczema or bronchiolitis at 1 year of age.
Eczema occurred in 16.2% of infants receiving paracetamol and 15.4% of those receiving ibuprofen (adjusted odd ratio (OR) 1.10). Bronchiolitis occurred in 4.9% and 4.3% of infants, respectively (adjusted OR 1.23). Serious adverse events were rare, occurring in 0.4% of the paracetamol group and 0.5% of…
