Fever and pain relief in children: Advice for parents

A new campaign has been sponsored by Nurofen for Children, to help dispel common myths and better educate mums on two of the most common pain relieving medicines after new figures reveal the majority of mums need to stop and consider if the type of medicine they give their child is truly the most suitable treatment.

The survey showed half (50 per cent) of mums mistakenly believe paracetamol gives their child all night fever relief, when ibuprofen is clinically proven to provide relief for up to 8 hours - 2 hours longer than paracetamol. In addition, 59 per cent of mums choose paracetamol with the belief it provides the fastest relief from fever, when in fact, nothing works faster to reduce fever than ibuprofen which can get to work in just 15 minutes. The survey also highlighted concerns about giving ibuprofen to young children by over a quarter (26 percent) of mums who don’t realise it is gentle enough to be used on children from 3 months weighing over 5kgs.

The research firmly established that paracetamol is a preferred treatment among mums with almost two thirds (61 percent) choosing it over ibuprofen to reduce a fever. Dr Hilary Jones features in the educational video, he comments, “Paracetamol has been around for a long time and many mums remember having it as a child themselves, however it’s not the only option. It is important parents understand ibuprofen can be just as effective in treating pain and fever symptoms in children. Plus, because ibuprofen also has anti-inflammatory properties, it can be very helpful for treating inflammation associated with conditions such as teething and earache.”

Dr Hilary Jones’ Pain Relief Medicine Myth Busters:

Dr Hilary Jones addresses some of the most common misconceptions about ibuprofen and paracetamol below, helping to give control back to parents so they feel more confident when giving relief for pain and fever in the future.

Paracetamol is more effective than ibuprofen at reducing fever
False - Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are equally effective at reducing fever; however nothing works faster or for longer to relieve a fever than ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen lasts longer than paracetamol in fever relief
True - Ibuprofen is clinically proven to provide fever relief for up to 8 hours.

Paracetamol is not as harsh as ibuprofen for infants and children
False - Ibuprofen is gentle enough to use for children from 3 months and weighing over 5kg.

Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory
True - Ibuprofen has anti-inflammatory properties and works to relieve inflammation caused by conditions such as teething and earache