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The majority of sick children receive paracetamol during the winter
Ruth Kirk Ertmann1, Janne Julie Møller, Frans Boch Waldorff
1Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. ruth@sund.ku.dk
Insights
Parents frequently administer paracetamol to toddlers with multiple symptoms during winter. This common over-the-counter medication was used on 37% of fever days, indicating a reasonable approach to managing childhood illness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Fever is a common childhood symptom causing parental concern.
- Paracetamol is the most common over-the-counter medication used for symptom relief in children.
- Understanding parent-administered paracetamol use is crucial for managing childhood illness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns of paracetamol administration by parents to toddlers.
- To analyze the relationship between paracetamol use, symptoms, doctor visits, and illness severity.
- To assess the appropriateness of paracetamol use in managing childhood fevers.
Main Methods:
- Prospective diary study conducted over a three-month winter period.
- Involved a cohort of 183 infants born in February 2001 in Denmark.
- Data collected on parent-administered paracetamol, symptoms, and illness characteristics.
Main Results:
- 65% of toddlers received paracetamol at least once; 9.3% received it for over ten days.
- Paracetamol administration increased with the number of reported symptoms.
- Paracetamol was given on 37% of fever days, with higher usage for combined symptoms like fever and earache (64%).
Conclusions:
- Most ill toddlers with multiple symptoms received paracetamol.
- Paracetamol use on 37% of fever days suggests parents differentiate illness severity.
- Withholding paracetamol until the second day of illness indicates a reasonable approach to symptom management.
Introduction:
Even though fever is a common symptom in childhood, it often worries parents and they may try to reduce discomfort by giving the child paracetamol, which is currently the most commonly sold over-the-counter medicine. The objective of this study was to investigate parent-administered paracetamol in toddlers during a winter-period in relation to symptoms, doctor contacts and severity-rated illness.
Material And Methods:
The study was conducted as a prospective diary study covering a three-month winter-period. It comprised a cohort of 183 infants born in February 2001 in a district of the capital area in Denmark.
Results:
According to the parents, a total of 119 toddlers (65%) received paracetamol at least once during the study period; 9.3% of the toddlers received paracetamol for more than ten days. The administration of paracetamol rose as the number of symptoms increased. Paracetamol was given in 37% of days with fever. The most frequent combinations of symptoms to trigger paracetamol administration were fever and earache with a probability of 64%. For the symptoms of vomiting and earache, the probability was 60%. In the rare cases with monosymptomatic fever, some 23% used paracetamol.
Conclusion:
The majority of ill toddlers received paracetamol if they had several symptoms. However, paracetamol was administrated in 37% of days with fever. This use of paracetamol seems reasonable as the parents differentiate between degrees of illness and withhold paracetamol until the second day of the illness episode.
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