Ibuprofen risk for some children
07 September 2005

The painkiller ibuprofen may not be suitable for a small percentage of children with asthma, say researchers.

Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle found that in a group of 100 children aged 6-18 with mild to moderate asthma, two per cent developed symptoms after taking ibuprofen.

Parents should check the ingredients of over-the-counter medicines before giving them to children with asthma, advised Asthma UK experts today, especially if they know their child is allergic to ibuprofen or to another painkiller.

A significant number of people with asthma have adverse reactions to certain types of painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines: a 2004 study found that 21 per cent of adults with asthma had symptoms triggered by aspirin; most of the group studied also had a sensitivity to ibuprofen. However, the same study found that paracetamol triggered asthma symptoms in only seven per cent of participants.

'There is a very small risk that ibuprofen may cause an adverse reaction in children with asthma,' said Dot Russell, asthma nurse specialist on the Asthma UK Adviceline.

'Make sure you remind your doctor that your child has asthma when being prescribed medicine for pain relief, and check the listed ingredients when buying over-the-counter remedies from the pharmacist,' she advised.

'For most children with asthma, ibuprofen remains a safe medicine,' she stressed. 'However, if you are in any doubt you should seek advice from your doctor.'