title: The majority of sick children receive paracetamol during the winter.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though fever is a common symptom in childhood, it often worries parents and they may try to reduce discomfort by giving the child paracetamol, which is currently the most commonly sold over-the-counter medicine. The objective of this study was to investigate parent-administered paracetamol in toddlers during a winter-period in relation to symptoms, doctor contacts and severity-rated illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted as a prospective diary study covering a three-month winter-period. It comprised a cohort of 183 infants born in February 2001 in a district of the capital area in Denmark.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the parents, a total of 119 toddlers (65%) received paracetamol at least once during the study period; 9.3% of the toddlers received paracetamol for more than ten days. The administration of paracetamol rose as the number of symptoms increased. Paracetamol was given in 37% of days with fever. The most frequent combinations of symptoms to trigger paracetamol administration were fever and earache with a probability of 64%. For the symptoms of vomiting and earache, the probability was 60%. In the rare cases with monosymptomatic fever, some 23% used paracetamol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of ill toddlers received paracetamol if they had several symptoms. However, paracetamol was administrated in 37% of days with fever. This use of paracetamol seems reasonable as the parents differentiate between degrees of illness and withhold paracetamol until the second day of the illness episode.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. ruth@sund.ku.dk
authors.forename: Ruth Kirk
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Ertmann
authors.forename: Janne Julie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: Frans Boch
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Waldorff
authors.forename: Volkert
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Siersma
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reventlow
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderström
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058633:Antipyretics; D000082:Acetaminophen