London : Babies are nearly a third more likely to develop asthma if they are given paracetamol, according to a new study.
The Bristol University study also found that if mom-to-be uses paracetamol, the chance of the unborn child later becoming asthmatic also increases, the Daily Mail reported.
The Bristol team and scientists from Oslo University examined data from 114,500 pregnancies, tracking the children until the age of seven and found that taking paracetamol by mothers during pregnancy and by babies in infanthood was linked to the development of asthma by the age of three.
The scientists tested their theory against the idea that the asthma was caused by the medical complaint for which the person was taking paracetamol.
The scientists found that children given paracetamol during infancy were 29 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with asthma by the age of three, with a similar rate at age seven.
Researcher Maria Magnus said that uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance, as paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller among pregnant women and infants.
The study is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. (ANI)