Children under the age of 4 shouldn’t take over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, manufacturers announced Tuesday.
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein and other local pediatricians led the push to bar the use of these medicines by young children.
“This action is a big step in the right direction and will protect millions of toddlers from these unproven and potentially unsafe drugs,” Sharfstein said in a statement.
Leading manufacturers such as Tylenol, Triaminic and Robitussin, are voluntarily adding labels on oral pediatric cough and cold medicines to say “do not use” in children under 4, said Linda Suydam, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents the manufacturers.
The manufacturers will transition the new labels through the 2008-09 cold season, she said in a statement.
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration began a review of pediatric use of OTC cough and cold medications, following safety concerns.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has advised against their use in young children, saying the products have been shown to be ineffective in children under 6, and serious health problems have been associated with their use.
“As the cold season approaches,” Sharfstein said, “we still advise that parents not use cough and cold preparations for children under age 6.”
For more on this story, see the AP article here.
For more on the FDA’s inaction on the issue, click here.
