by Pauline M. Campos
August 09, 2008

Remember the media frenzy when cough and cold medications intended for infants and children under the age of 2 years were pulled off the shelves nationwide? Well, new evidence is now available suggesting that the dangers are indeed real.

According to a recent news story, at least 10 infant deaths involving the use of cough and cold medications were reported in Arizona in 2006.

Researchers from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson investigated the deaths of 21 infants. Of the fatalities, evidence obtained through autopsy showed that 10 infants, ranging in age from 17 days to 10 months, had been given cough or cold medications prior to their deaths. The findings were reported in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.

There is no proof that the ingestion of the medications caused the deaths, but it certainly does add weight to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) warning to parents to avoid medicating children under 2 years of age with cough or cold remedies.

Arizona researchers used data from The Arizona Child Fatality Review Program that reviews the circumstances of every child’s death in the state each year. Data on all infants who died unexpectedly and had autopsy and postmortem toxicologic studies were reviewed for the purpose of the study.

Toxicology reports showed that 10 infants had received cough and cold medications containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine and the cough suppressant dextromethorphan. Decongestants and cough suppressants have been shown to have serious side effects in children, including depressed breathing and increased blood pressure.

It is important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Chest Physicians do not support the use of dextromethorphan in infants and young children due to risk for serious reactions associated with the drug. The drug is commonly sold under the brand names: Benylin, Deslyn, Robutussin cough Calmers, and Vicks 44 cough Medicine.

Researchers say that their findings support the FDA’s recommendation to avoid giving cough and cold medications to infants and young children, and sadly show that parents are not following the warning found on the packaging that clearly instructs parents to “consult a physician” prior to use.

Also in the August issue of Pediatrics was survey data showing that 1 in 10 U.S. children uses a cough and cold medication in a given week. Sadly, the highest use was among 2–5 year olds, followed by children under 2 years of age—despite concerns over the risk of using cough and cold medication in these age groups.

The Science Daily reported that federal health advisors, testifying before the FDA, stated that children younger than 6 years of age should not be given these medications, or at the very least that the medications not be sold over-the-counter.

So how do you keep your child safe and possibly provide some relief from colds at the same time? baby gooroo reported the results of a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in which one tablespoon of buckwheat honey provided the greatest amount of relief from nighttime coughs in children ages 1 and older, when compared to no treatment or treatment with dextromethorphan.

Also, parents should be aware that it commonly takes about two weeks for children to recover from a cough or cold. So perhaps the best advice is “just say no” to medications and “just say yes” to tissues.