# Worried about using Calpol



## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

Hi there

We read this recently about Calpol:
http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/346400/behind_the_label_calpol.html

and now I am getting worried about using it. I don't normally jump on these things, but in particular this:
_"using the drug in the first year of life increased the risk of hay fever and eczema at the age of 6 and 7 by 48 per cent and 35 per cent respectively"
_
and
_"It also contains .....the paraben preservatives methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218 - suspected hormone disrupter and allergen), propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216 - suspected hormone disrupter and allergen), ethyl parahydroxybenzoate (E214 - suspected hormone disrupter, *banned in France and Australia*)"_

Banned in France and Australia!? 

Am I worrying unduly? Is there another alternative that contains less of these E numbers etc?

We have given Calpol to Xan about 4 times in his 4.5 months of life - after his first jabs when he ran a slight fever, and when he has been teething. He is still teething badly and also has a nasty cold (seems to have been made worse by his jabs yesterday) that is causing him considerable distress (but has no fever) - before we might have given him Calpol to help settle him (perhaps this would have been wrong, as he has no fever??) but now we seem to be more inclined to "ride it out" - but I worry the pain and distress he is suffering outweigh the "risks" we've read about



Any thoughts on the subject are very welcome!

Thanks, Boo


----------



## mazv (Jul 31, 2006)

Hi pabboo,

was this via Google perchance  

The vast majority of liquid medicines contain some sort of paraben preservative (E number). It's a tried and tested chemical group that will prevent bugs growing in the medicine. If they didn't put a preservative in then it wouldn't be viable to make liquid medicines for anyone that can't swallow tablets.

There are oddles of different brands of paracetamol suspension apart from Calpol so there may be ones that don't contain these specific E numbers, so you could always check the different products on the market for an alternative.

I'll leave a link from NHS website on use of paracetamol in children for you to reassure you that occasional use when fever is present is perfectly safe to do.

In relation to the clinical study conducted last year, this was published in one of the big medical journals (might have been BMJ, can't remember now) It was a relatively well conducted study that seemed to suggest a link with an increase in allergic type illnesses in children who had a regular exposure to paracetamol in the first 12 months of life. As far as I'm aware no further clinical data has been published that supports this and like any study it had its drawbacks so although an interesting finding it has yet to be definitely proven and we'll need to wait and see what other research is published in future that either supports or refutes this finding.

In my opinion the only only risk with giving Calpol is in ensuring you stick to the right dosing schedule. I wouldn't avoid giving it to Xan if he is obviously in pain or has a fever.

Hope this helps
Maz x


----------



## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

That does help, thanks Maz.

...and no, not Google!   A "friend" who reads the Ecologist saw the article and passed it on, so the "good old fashioned" way of getting freaked out!


----------

