MCA advises against aspirin for under-16s

The UK Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), part of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), has extended its recommendations restricting the use of aspirin and aspirin-containing products in the under-12s to include 12-15 year olds. The guidance is said to be precautionary in the light of a possible link with Reye's syndrome, a rare, sometimes fatal, brain and liver disorder occurring almost exclusively in children.

A causal link between aspirin and Reye's Syndrome has not been proven. Some studies have shown that ingestion of aspirin by children during and after a viral illness have been associated in the development of the condition. However, a high percentage of Reye's cases reported occurred without aspirin usage. In the US, it is recommended that aspirin should not be given to children under 19 years of age during episodes of fever-causing illnesses.

In future, packs of aspirin-containing products will carry the wording: 'Do not give to children under 16 years of age, unless on the advice of a doctor'. There will now be an eight-week consultation period on whether there should be a warning displayed on all aspirin products about the risks of Reye's syndrome. There are some 140 analgesics on sale in the UK that contain aspirin, manufactured by 50 companies.

It is not known why only some children, and no adults, are affected, but since advice was issued in 1986 not to give aspirin to under-12s, the incidence of the condition has decreased.