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Paracetamol may worsen asthma symptoms in children and adults who already have the condition and could even lead to new cases, says a new report. The study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, directly links acetaminophen - which is marketed as Tylenol and Paracetamol - with asthma. It was written by Dr John McBride who cited a previous study involving 520,000 children in 54 countries.Researchers found that the risk of developing asthma rose by 60 per cent in six to seven-year-olds who had taken the drug at least once a year but less than once a month. The risk more than tripled in children who took it at least once a month, msnbc.com reports.Dr McBride is a director of the Robert T. Stone Respiratory Center at the Akron Children�s Hospital in Ohio.He said: 'I decided to do what I could to make sure pediatricians and other primary care physicians realized that there is a possibility that simply avoiding acetaminophen in preference of some other equally effective treatment for fever or pain might make an important difference to a child�s asthma.' Another study used the same methods but with 13 and 14-year-olds instead. It found that the risk of developing asthma rose by 40 per cent in the teenagers who had taken acetaminophen at least once a year but less than once a month. The risk more than doubled for those who took the medication at least once a month. At least one study into the impact of the two drugs on children already suffering from asthma found that while acetaminophen appeared to increase airway problems, ibuprofen did not. Experts in asthma are quick to point out there is still no proof that Paracetamol causes asthma or exacerbates the condition, saying that the studies simply show that the drug is associated with an increased risk. There could be a link because of something else that people who took the drug had in common. Dr. Fernando Holguin is an assistant professor of medicine in the pulmonary, allergy and critical care division at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He said the new report is a reminder that just because a medication is available over the counter does not necessarily mean it is totally safe. His four-year-old son suffers from asthma and he uses Ibuprofen rather than Paracetamol when his son has a fever.