Ibuprofen and GI tolerability
IBUPROFEN AND GI TOLERABILITY
Healthcare professionals and parents of young children may perceive paracetamol as being safer than ibuprofen.9 However, ibuprofen and paracetamol have been shown to have comparable gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability when treating fever and pain in children.8,9
Here is some of the evidence:
One study of over 84,000 children comparing ibuprofen with paracetamol revealed that short-term treatment with ibuprofen did not significantly increase the risk of acute GI bleeding compared with paracetamol. Children included in this study were aged between 6 months and 12 years and weighed between 7 and 50kg.8
A review carried out in 2017 showed that the risk of GI events is no greater with ibuprofen than with paracetamol when used short-term (such as managing fever in children) at OTC doses.9
Contraindications
Ibuprofen is contraindicated for use in children who have:13
- A history of GI bleeding or perforation related to previous NSAID therapy
- Active or a history of recurrent peptic ulcer/haemorrhage (two or more distinct episodes of proven ulceration or bleeding)
For children with a sensitive stomach, ibuprofen can be taken with or after food.13
Test your knowledge
Compared to paracetamol, the risk of GI events with ibuprofen is:
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