Most Active Stories KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page Shots -
Health Blog Sun February 19, 2012 Does Tylenol Worsen Asthma For
Kids? Parents and doctors around the world have been alarmed by
the dramatic increase in childhood asthma. One factor in the
upswing is better detection by doctors, but at least one doctor
thinks a common over-the-counter drug also has something to do
with it. Dr. John McBride sees lots of kids with asthma. He's a
pediatric pulmonologist at Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio. He
knew of studies that raised concern about the safety of
acetaminophen — brand name Tylenol — to treat colds and fever in
kids with asthma. So he decided to look more closely at the
research. "I was stunned," he says. All the studies he looked at
showed a link between asthma and acetaminophen. "The more
acetaminophen somebody takes, the more likely it is that they
have asthma," he says. "Also, there's an incredible consistency.
Everybody around the world who's looked for this association has
been able to find it."