Abstract
Answer A
Aspirin is not recommended for children under the age of 16 years because of concern regarding Reye’s syndrome. Features include personality change, drowsiness or altered consciousness, and frequent or persistent effortless vomiting. There is typically disordered liver function with raised serum transaminases, hypoglycaemia, deranged clotting, hyperammonaemia and fatty infiltration of the liver. Cerebral oedema may lead to permanent brain injury or death.
Owing to the possible link between Reye's syndrome and aspirin, the medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), recommends children under 16 years old should not take aspirin unless advised to do so by a doctor.
[InnovAiT article: Headache in children]
Clinical Knowledge Summaries http://cks.nice.org.uk/migraine#!scenariorecommendation:12
National Reye’s Syndrome Foundation UK www.reyessyndrome.co.uk/home