Children’s cold medicines can be risky

As summer eases into fall and temperatures change, many kids will get colds. That means many will be taking over-the-counter cold medicines. And that may mean trouble. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that children under 2 years old should not use over-the-counter medications for coughs and colds — medications such as Pediacare, Robitussin, Dimetapp and Triaminic. The FDA says such medications may not help young children at all — and could even prove harmful. Such cold medications have led to thousands of calls to poison-control centers and hundreds of children needing emergency room treatment. These children may suffer from hallucinations, depressed levels of consciousness or abnormal heart rhythms or other cardiovascular maladies. The FDA says 95 million packages of over-the-counter cold and cough medicines are sold for children’s use each year in the U.S. Yet many do no more good to a child than if they were a placebo. Also, many medicines are not meant specifically for children and lack proper directions for child use. The FDA discovered that in 2004 a total of 900 children accidentally overdosed on cold medicines. Instead of relying on over-the-counter medications, parents can try other, safer and more reliable means of helping a child with a cold. For instance, you can lower a fever by giving a child ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but only after asking your doctor about the proper dose, considering your child’s age and size. Parents also can use a cool-mist humidifier in a child’s bedroom to open nasal passages. And saline nose drops can help relieve a runny nose. Plenty of fluids – especially clear liquids – also can help, along with ample rest. There, that safety pill wasn’t so hard to swallow, was it?