As many of us know, there has been a significant increase in asthma, allergies, and eczema over the past 30 years.  There have been many theories postulated to explain this rise, but none that have been definitively proven.  Now, another theory is making the rounds, and this one blames Tylenol; this theory has gotten alot of attention recently, including pieces in the New York Times, Fox News, and CNN to name a few.  In short, many years ago, we became aware of the dangers of Aspirin in children, as it can cause Reye's syndrome, which is a potentially lethal liver disease.  As a result, many families stopped using Aspirin and switched over to Acetaminophen (most commonly Tylenol).  It is around that time that the increased asthma and allergy rates began...

So what are the details?  What further data exsists?  What should we do now?  Needless to say, there are no definite answers at this time.  Some experts feel this theory may be correct, and are recommending that kids with a personal history of asthma or a family history of asthma should avoid all Acetaminophen products including Tylenol.  Other experts feel the data is not convincing, and are holding off on making recommendations until more information is available.  At the very least, its an interesting idea and worth thinking about if asthma runs in your family.

For more information, please see the following links:
- New York Times story
- Fox News story and video