Starship Children’s Hospital and the University of Auckland say paracetamol and ibuprofen are safe to use in babies’ first year of life, with no link to eczema or bronchiolitis.

For Hibiscus Coast parents, these are the two pain and fever medicines you are most likely to be given or buy over the counter when your baby is unwell.

The research is led by Professor Stuart Dalziel, a paediatrician at Starship, and is based at University of Auckland.

Almost 4,000 babies across New Zealand took part from birth.

Half were randomised so parents provided paracetamol when needed for fever or pain relief.

Half were randomised so parents provided ibuprofen when needed.

Parents were asked at regular intervals whether their child had eczema, asthma symptoms, or bronchiolitis.

Researchers also checked prescribing and hospital records.

The first-year results have been analysed and published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Eczema affected about 16 percent of babies given paracetamol and 15 percent of those given ibuprofen.

Bronchiolitis occurred in about five percent of babies in both groups.

The differences were not significant.

Serious side effects were rare, and none was caused by the medications.

The paper is part of the PIPPA Tamariki study, described as the largest trial ever conducted in children in New Zealand.

The children are being followed to age six, with results at age three due soon, and later findings at age six to help test any links with asthma and other conditions that are diagnosed more accurately at school age.

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