 This
cold and flu season, parents will have one less tool in their
medicine chests to work with when it comes to relieving their
children's cold and cough symptoms.That is because a Food and
Drug Administration advisory panel recently concluded
over-the-counter cold and cough medicines for children don't work
and are potentially dangerous. As a result, the panel said the
FDA should ban the medicines for children under the age of six.
The statistics that prompted the recommendation estimate U.S.
emergency departments treated more than 1,500 children under the age
of two in 2004 and 2005 for overdoses and other problems related to
cold medicines. Three children under the age of six months
died from cold and cough medication overdoses in 2005.
The news leaves parents wondering what they should do while they
wait for the FDA to make an official ruling on the recommendation.
Local pediatrician John W. Bartlett, MD, FAAP, says parents should
never give cold or cough medicine to children under the age of two,
and that they should not give it to children between the ages of two
and five unless directed by a pediatrician.
He also says parents should not be too disappointed by the
announcement. "There are no medical studies that prove these
medicines work any better than a placebo in children under the age
of two," says Dr. Bartlett. "There is no reason to use a
medication that could potentially do more harm than good."
Rather than giving children cold and cough medicine, Dr.
Bartlett recommends parents try the following remedies:
- Give plenty of liquids
- Use saline drops in the nose to loosen mucus
- Suction the nose with a nasal aspirator before feeding a
baby
- Place a cool mist humidifier in the child's bedroom
- Prop the child up when in bed
- Check the child's room to be sure it is free of allergens
that could be contributing to the coughing
Contact your child's pediatrician or Dr. Bartlett for more
information.
John W. Bartlett, MD
Physicians Primary Care of Southwest Florida
9350
Camelot Drive
Ft.
Myers, FL 33919
239-481-5437
5624
8th Street W. Suite 108
Lehigh
Acres, FL 33971
239-368-7050 |
