Cold Medicines

Could They Be Hurting Our Children

A panel of experts from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), have instructed parents not to use over-the-counter cold medicines for their young children. These experts have stated that the medicines don't work and in some instances are doing more harm than good. The FDA has warned parents to stop administering decongestants to children under two and not to administer antihistamines to children under six. The recommendation does not apply to expectorants, although many of the over-the-counter cold medicines do contain that ingredient.

Many parents are baffled by the news. One New Jersey mother stated when her daughter would wake up in the middle of the night with sniffles and other cold symptoms, they would mix her cold medication with some juice. Her daughter would soon fall back to sleep, so they assumed the medicine was working, now they don't know what to believe. Another mother in California said it was hard to watch her son stay awake at night coughing, and not be able to give him something for relief. She was concerned that he was suffering and couldn't sleep. She further stated "the cold medicines always seemed to work." A father in Seattle said it makes him nervous and afraid that the cold medicines designed to help his 3 year old son could instead be hurting him.

Some of the harmful side effects associated with these drugs include, the development of secondary infections, and the more harmful side effect of fatalities caused by accidental overdosing. One man stated that the cold medications caused his son to have seizures.

To prevent these harmful effects the FDA experts are advising doctors to change the way children's cold medications are labeled, marketed and used. One specific suggestion is that "the doctor recommended" label on these drugs should be removed. Many experts say further testing may be needed to reclassify the medicines, but that could take years. Also, the studies may not be necessary since most of the ingredients in these drugs are safe and effective. The re-labeling is much easier and faster.

Some of the drugs such as Dimetapp, Robitussin, Triaminic and Pediacare, have never been tested in children---an issue raised by the FDA experts as early as 1972. Experts also feel parents should receive more education to avoid overdosing fatalities. For now, parents have been advised to replace their children's cold medications with standardized saline drops, motrine, regular Tylenol, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or cold mist humidifiers. It is also recommended that the child receive plenty of fluids such as water and juice to avoid dehydration. And, as with all illnesses, the love and caring of the parents go a long way toward helping their children recover.