Avoid OTC Cough & Cold Meds for Children Under 4

Matthew Leibman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:45:35 +0000

This year at Matthews Chiropractic Center I’ve become a new parent. As a parent, I am acutely aware of the desire to make our children feel well ASAP. I am also cautious of everything that I give to my child to eat, drink and feel better. Readers to this space will remember an early September 2008 posting recommending alternative methods of relieving cough and cold in children under 2 years old (“Choose the spoonful of sugar, but not the medicine”). In that posting I highlighted the FDA’s recommendation to avoid use of OTC cough and cold remedies for children under 2 year of age.

Recent news recommends avoiding over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for children until 4 years of age. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) is an industry group representing the manufacturers and distributors of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and nutritional supplements. On October 7, 2008, the CHPA announced that leading manufacturers are “voluntarily transitioning the labeling on oral OTC pediatric cough and cold medicines to state “do not use” in children under four years of age.”

If you are still using these remedies in question, please be very careful to follow your pediatrician’s instructions, measure doses correctly, and keep track of when doses are given. To learn about an alternative to OTC cough and cold medications, see the earlier article Choose the spoonful of sugar, but not the medicine.

Choose the spoonful of sugar, but not the medicine

Choose the spoonful of sugar, but not the medicine

Matthew Leibman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:44:16 +0000

A January 2008 FDA Public Health Advisory “Recommends that Over-the-Counter (OTC) Cough and Cold Products not be used for Infants and Children under 2 Years of Age.” The risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to advise parents not to treat infants and children under 2 years of age with OTC cough and cold medicines. The FDA is still reviewing safety information regarding the use of these OTC medicines in children 2 to 11 years of age and anticipates communicating its recommendations in the near future. The FDA stated, “we are aware of reports of serious side effects from cough and cold medicines in children 2 years of age and older.”

Helping Honey

A December 2007 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine study should help parents find an alternative to OTC medications for their children having trouble sleeping at night due to upper respiratory tract infections. The findings of this recent study suggests that buckwheat honey is a great remedy for children 2 to 18 years old with nocturnal cough and difficulty sleeping. When the study compared honey, honey-flavored dextromethorphan (cough medicine), and no treatment, for children suffering from nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to upper respiratory tract infection, parents rated honey most favorably for symptomatic relief. Overall, the trial found that “honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection.”

**Please keep in mind that honey should never be fed to infants under 12 months of age.**

Raw honey should not be given to infants under one year of age because of the rare possibility of infection with the bacteria that causes botulism. And remember, as with all health issues concerning children, please consult your family’s pediatrician regarding treatment of your child’s ailments.

Finding Answers

At Matthews Chiropractic Center, I strive to provide excellent treatment of the spine and assist patient’s with all their health and wellness concerns. Stay tuned to learn more about current health, wellness, and chiropractic topics as I work to help keep patients and readers well and informed.

Review the FDA advisory at: http://www.fda.gov/Cder/drug/advisory/cough_cold_2008.htm

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine article:
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/161/12/1140