Children under the age of two who are given asthma medication are apparently more likely to have stunted growth.
A study in Finland looked at more than 12,000 children.
It found those who inhaled so-called cortico-steroids early on were too short for their age.
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Lead researcher Dr Antti Saari says there should be careful consideration before the drug is prescribed:
The findings of the study will be presented at a conference by the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology.
There are an estimated 470,000 asthma sufferers in Ireland, according to the Asthma Society of Ireland.