CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN COUGH AND COLD MEDS

October 22, 2007

When our children get sick, we want to help them feel better, fast. But cough and cold medications can be dangerous for kids, and there is no evidence that over-the-counter (OTC) medications will either improve their symptoms or treat the cold itself.

On Friday, an FDA advisory committee met to review the safety and effectiveness of OTC cough and cold products marketed for pediatric use. The committee heard testimony from numerous experts, including Public Citizen. In the end, the committee recommended that children under 6 years of age not be given OTC cough and cold medications.

Although a step in the right direction, the recommendation stopped short of protecting all children. Cough and cold medications have not been proven effective in kids aged 6 to 12 either, and - as Public Citizen testified on Friday - the FDA should therefore:

1. Ban OTC cough and cold meds in child-friendly forms (such as droppers) when these products have not been shown to work in children and may be dangerous.
2. Require drug labels to clearly state the lack of effectiveness and the potential dangers of giving these drugs to all kids up to 12 years of age.

To read more, click here: http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2529

What if your child is sick?
The common cold will resolve in about seven days whether it is treated or not. Antibiotics should not be used because they cannot cure a cold.  A cold is best treated without drugs by drinking plenty of liquids (especially warm or hot liquids) and getting enough rest.