[Paracetamol to preschool children--indications and cultural background]

Immigrants may have a different attitude to the use of paracetamol (acetaminophen) than parents of western European or North American origin. The aim of this study was to examine under what conditions parents find treatment with paracetamol appropriate.

Parents at six public health centres were asked to select one or more among 26 indications for paracetamol treatment and to state the body temperature at which fever medication should be used. The indications were independently evaluated as appropriate, uncertain or inappropriate by the staff of the public health centres.

1563 (99%) parents participated in the study. 79% chose a fever threshold of 39 degrees C or above as appropriate for treatment with paracetamol. Fever, earache, influenza and headache were frequently chosen as appropriate indications by both parents and staff. On average, parents from non-western countries more frequently chose indications considered by the staff as uncertain or inappropriate and seemed to use paracetamol more frequently (odds ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.26-4.40) and in larger doses than other parents did.

This study indicates that parents from non-western countries use paracetamol for their children on wider indications, to more of their children, and in larger doses than other parents do.