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Researchers find that using inhalers can slow a child’s growth

A study has found that children who use certain types of inhalers to treat their asthma may grow slower than their peers.


A study has found that children who use certain types of inhalers to treat their asthma may grow slower than their peers.

The research, published by the Cochrane Collaboration, involved a review of 25 trials involving 8,471 children, to find out whether corticosteroid inhaler use affects the growth of children with asthma.

The researchers found that growth rates were cut by about half a centimetre on average during the first year of use.

However, many healthcare experts have argued that this side effect should be seen as “a small price to pay” for using a potentially life-saving medicine.

Read the original news story.

Read the full review.

Read a breakdown of the research by the NHS.

Find out more about asthma in children.

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