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Show Csumtion With Aspirhn advice on the many available ways to reduce fever, if that is necessary, and to make your child more comfortable. So by all means ask. You won't be sorry. By C. EVERETT KOOP. M.D. Many medical scientists now believe that giving aspirin, aspir-in, or any medication that contains con-tains aspirin, to a child who has chickenpox or flu may increase in-crease that child's chances of developing Reye syndrome, a rare but sometimes fatal childhood child-hood disease. FIRST recognized some 19 years ago, Reye syndrome is a serious condition that begins with vomiting and lethargy and may progress to delirium and coma. The condition is rare: fewer than 1,200 cases occur each year in the United States. But it may be fatal. Death occurs in 20 to 30 percent of all reported cases, and permanent brain damage has been reported re-ported in many children who survive. Reye syndrome most often occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 16 who are recovering recov-ering from viral infections, particularly chickenpox and influenza. Although the cause of this condition is unknown, researchers have, for years, suspected an association between be-tween the development of Reye syndrome and the earlier use of common medications to treat the preceding viral illness. ill-ness. They have been especially especial-ly suspicious of aspirin. NOW, CONTROLLED studies stu-dies by health departments in Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio have provided substantial evidence evi-dence that there is at least a relationship between the aspirin aspir-in that a child is given for a viral illness and the subsequent subse-quent onset of Reye syndrome. syn-drome. For that reason, the Surgeon General, felt it prudent pru-dent to tell parents and physicians physi-cians about this new medical evidence and to warn them that they should not give aspirin aspir-in to children who are suffering from chickenpox, influenza, or a flu-like illness. The American Amer-ican Academy of Pediatrics has issued a similar warning. It is emphasized that the relationship re-lationship between aspirin and Reye syndrome is suspected, not proven. Yet, as a parent and a physician, I know that in all matters involving the health of our children, it is better to be safe now than sorry later. The better, safer way, when your child is sick with chickenpox or flu or with an illness that you think might be th flue, is to leave the aspirin on the shelf and pick up the phone-call your pediatrician or family physician and ask for his or her advice. MOST childhood illnesses, you'll learn, are minor and self-limiting, which is to say that they quickly go away, with no need for medication. Thus, not only is it unwise to give aspirin to a child with a viral illness, it is also unnecessary. unneces-sary. In all cases, your physician physi-cian is the best source on |
