Ban on aspirin urged for children

Hong Kong should ban aspirin for children under 16 years of age to minimise the risk of them contracting a rare but often fatal liver and brain disorder, says a leading paediatrician.

The call by Dr Alfred Tam Yat-cheung, president of the Hong Kong Society of Paediatric Respirology, follows a move by Britain to ban aspirin products for children under 16 because it has been linked to Reye's syndrome when taken for viral infections such as flu and chicken pox.

The suggestion comes ahead of a mid-month meeting planned by the Health Department's registration committee to discuss the British ban.

There are 60 registered medicines containing aspirin in Hong Kong, including Alka-Seltzer, Anacin and Bufferin. Some medicine labels may use the words acetylsalicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylic acid or salicylate instead of aspirin.

Since 1985, a printed warning has been included in the packaging of these products, cautioning against its use by 'children under 12 except on medical advice'.

The Hospital Authority said seven children were admitted to SAR public hospitals from 1999 to last year after they contracted Reye's syndrome, but it did not say if any of the patients died.

Reye's syndrome can cause seizures, coma and death. Its origins are unknown but the link with aspirin was first established by an Australian pathologist 50 years ago.