... to give my little ones Calpol?

[Annabel7]

Just been sent this link by my brother - www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/346400/behind_the_label_calpol.html - talking of a link between Calpol and asthma, eczema and other allergies.

Think I caught the back end of a similar article on BBC Breakfast today. Has anyone else heard of this? What are your thoughts. My 2 yr old DD has, of course, just woken up in a feverous sweat...

You can question all the decisions you make as a mother. My DD had lots of calpol when she was younger. She had a lot of infections but hasn't suffered in any discernible way.

One of our NCT group kept circulating anti pharmaceutical articles about how we should trust the body's defence mechanisms, such as febrile convulsions, and I found it really irresponsible. Febrile convulsions can result in brain damage, it's rare but can be avoided by lowering temperature, with medication.

Actually temperatures that rise slowly in response to infection aren't the ones that cause febrile convulsions. It's sudden and violent temperature increases that do that. Temperatures that rise slowly in response to infection are beneficial. The mechanisms can be found in any secondary school science textbook.

If this wasn't the case we would all have been dead many thousands of years ago.

Confused about Lerato's comment 'It is thought now that the child fits and then the fever shoots up. Once they have a fever, they are not going to fit.'

First time my DD had a febrile convulsion she was already boiling, had been sick and had all the other stuff you associate with a bug. The second time she was getting hotter but not so that I was worried. She seems to be prone to high temps and because of the convulsions when she was only 17 weeks we are very careful now. I have to agree with those who say better safe than sorry.

She's just had a throat infection and her temp went up at one point to 40!! I think I would have been irresponsible not to give her Calpol (and yes, she had Calprofen too over the course of several days as the Calpol didn't always work - not fun )

It depends on whether or not the fever is causing discomfort - if they are hot but still smiling/interacting/playing then you don't need to give Calpol (or any other fever reducing medication). If they are miserable then yes, give them something. This is what the NICE guidelines recommend.

Personally, I wouldn't use calpol because one of the colourings - carmosine - has been banned in the US, Canada, Norway, Japan. The UK are always a bit slow on these things... So you can get a colourless paracetemol liquid as an alternative.

There are also studies that show that antipyretics(fever reducing medication) do not prevent febrile convulsions and the NICE guidelines state that they should not be used solely to try to prevent them.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Think the comments about fever are particularly interesting - though I tend to give it just for pain anyway (or when I think I think they're in pain...)