Ibuprofen may be more effective at treating pain and fever in infants, according to a review of 19 studies involving hundreds of thousands of infants published JAMA Network Open.
The studies compared acetaminophen with ibuprofen for safety and effectiveness and found that ibuprofen was slightly more effective in reducing fever four to 24 hours after administration, The New York Times reported.
The review combined data from 19 studies involving more than 240,000 children under the age of 2.
Neither drug was more effective than the other in reducing fever within four hours of administration. Some experts have suggested that acetaminophen may cause an increased risk for asthma, and ibuprofen may cause an increased risk for kidney problems. But the review found few serious side effects from either drug, the Times reported.