In case of pain or fever, ibuprofen and paracetamol do not act in the same way in children under two years of age.
- Paracetamol and ibuprofen cause the same serious side effects in toddlers.
- Ibuprofen acts faster than paracetamol, unless the latter is in high doses.
Commonly used to treat fever and pain, paracetamol and ibuprofen are equally safe in children under two, according to a new study published in JAMA. However, their respective effectiveness is different.
The same side effects but with a very low risk
“Despite the common use of these drugs, available over the counter, their recommendations for young children remain divergent,” explain the researchers in the preamble. To harmonize the uses, the scientists analyzed 19 studies (11 randomized and 8 non-randomized), conducted with 241,138 participants from 7 different countries.
Conclusion: paracetamol and ibuprofen cause the same serious adverse effects in toddlers. “Both drugs appear to have similar short-term safety profiles, with very low adverse event rates overall,” complete the authors.
Ibuprofen works faster
“In this study, the use of ibuprofen was associated with a reduction in temperature and pain in the first 24 hours compared to the use of paracetamol”, add the scientists. In other words, ibuprofen acts faster than paracetamol, unless the latter is in high doses. Ibuprofen also controls fever better over 24 hours (which is normal, because paracetamol only really acts for 2 to 3 hours while ibuprofen acts over 6 to 8 hours, editor’s note).
Paracetamol (Doliprane, Efferalgan, Fervex, Dafalgan) is the best-selling drug in France, with consumption up 53% in ten years. This increase also concerns children (pediatric form of paracetamol): +39% in 10 years, while aspirin for children has fallen by 57% and ibuprofen by 10%.
.
