Asthma & Bispenol A

The increase in asthma must be leading to more studies on the cause of the condition. I found two on-line today.

FROM NBC: A new study in mice suggests exposure to the chemical bisphenol-a may be linked to asthma.

Bisphenol-A, or BPA is found in some plastics and the aluminum lining of food and drink cans. In experiments with mice, researchers found that expectant mothers exposed to b-p-a had pups with more allergies and bronchial inflammation.

Researchers say the BPA exposure was roughly the equivalent of chronic exposure in humans. Researchers say asthma rates began increasing about 40 years ago -- the same time BPA was first produced.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Tylenol Danger

I do my best not to give my kids medicine unless they really need it, which isn't very often. However, the ones I give the most are Tylenol and Motrin or their generic equivalents. Now one of the most common medications for kids-Tylenol-is under scrutiny. I guess the old adage "Everything in Moderation" is key.

From ABC: When babies run a high fever, the medicine most pediatricians recommend is children's Tylenol or a similar product containing acetaminophen. But a new study links acetaminophen to an increased risk of asthma, allergies, and eczema in children. The headline sounds alarming, but experts say parents shouldn't be too concerned just yet.

The study is impressive, spanning 31 countries and including more than 200,000 children. And at first blush, the results seem concerning - babies given acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, had an increased risk for developing asthma by age 6.

Compared to infants who never received the painkiller, those who received acetaminophen in their first year of life had a 58 per cent higher risk for developing early childhood asthma. Babies receiving the drug also had more symptoms of eczema and nasal allergies.

But most experts say it's too soon to blame the medication for children's illnesses. The infants who took acetaminophen were already sick with fever, and it may be that the underlying infections were the determining factor for their greater asthma risk.

The authors say parents should still use acetaminophen to treat children's fevers - never aspirin, which can cause a potentially fatal condition called Reye's syndrome.

However, they recommend reserving Tylenol for high fevers only - those that are greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

Source: Published in Lancet by a team of International Researchers (headed by New Zealand)

How often do you give your kids acetaminophen/Tylenol?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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