Health and Science Story

22 November 2008 18:18 BST

Ibuprofen/paracetamol combo beats kids' fever

Children's fevers can be kept at bay by a combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol, a UK study has shown.

Researchers are calling on national guidance stating the drugs should not be used in conjunction to be updated.

The call comes after children aged between six months and six years with temperatures between 37.8 and 41C had their fevers reduced by a dual prescription of ibuprofen and paracetamol.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England found that in the first four hours children given both medicines spent an extra 55 minutes less time with fever compared to those given paracetamol alone.

But giving two medicines was not markedly better than just giving ibuprofen.

However, over a 24 hour period, children given both medicines experienced 4.4 hours less time with fever than those given just paracetamol, and 2.5 hours less time with fever than those just given ibuprofen.

"Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and parents wanting to use medicines to treat young, unwell children with fever should be advised to use ibuprofen first and to consider the relative benefits and risks of using both medicines over a 24 hour period," the authors write on BMJ online.

But an accompanying editorial warns of the dangers of parents overdosing their children on ibuprofen – just as 31 did in the study – and states that using both medicines might complicate matters further.