Parents Worried about Autism/Co-Occurring Conditions Risk Can Chose Ibuprofen
A new analysis comparing acetaminophen with another common pain reliever, ibuprofen, has found ibuprofen to be superior for the treatment of fever or pain in children younger than 2 years. It was associated with reduced temperature and less pain within the first 24 hours of treatment, with equivalent safety in the short term, compared to acetaminophen.
Previous research has found an increased risk of autism and ADHD from prenatal or early childhood exposure to the pain reliever acetaminophen. There is evidence that acetaminophen use in children is also associated with an increased risk of asthma and other atopic diseases. ADHD , asthma and atopic disease occur at a higher frequency in ASD than the general population. Some researchers have called for replacing acetaminophen with another pain reliever during these critical periods of development. Parents worried about acetaminophen but needing a pain/fever medication may decide to go with ibuprofen, given its overall effectiveness in this recent research review.
