Ibuprofen is best for fever in children

To control fever in children, ibuprofen should be tried first, and the benefits and risks of giving paracetamol and ibuprofen together for more than 24 hours should be weighed, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

The aim of these medicines is to control the temperature, ease the child's discomfort and prevent febrile seizures. Ibuprofen is stronger than paracetamol, and together they may work better than either alone, as each works in a different way.

In the study, children were divided into three groups: paracetamol, ibuprofen, or both. The researchers measured the temperature four hours after a dose, the share of children who were comfortable after 48 hours, how long each treatment took to bring the temperature back to normal and how long it kept it normal over 24 hours, as well as fever symptoms and side effects.

Paracetamol plus ibuprofen brought the temperature down fastest within 4 hours and kept it down longest, but the combination made no difference to the children's comfort or side effects compared with either drug alone. More studies are needed, and doctors, pharmacists, nurses and parents should weigh the benefits and risks of using the two together for more than 24 hours. Always follow the dose on the pack and don't exceed it.