Infant Cough, Cold Drugs Withdrawn
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Infant Cough, Cold Drugs Withdrawn
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/136/119916.html?ecd=wnl_nal_101107
These medicines are -- and always have been -- safe at recommended doses," says Suydam.
She adds that "these voluntary actions are being taken out of an abundance of caution. The vast majority of parents and caregivers safely use these medicines to help relieve their children's symptoms."
Wow - I am stunned that responsible parents will have to watch their children suffer through a cold when a little decongestant would be greatly beneficial. Or see a child under two itch and scratch when a little benadryl would really help.
Parents who need to will now use childrens' formulas in smaller doses - leading to a greater potential for over dosing - even if they have a doctor tell them the right dosage by weight.
It's more than sad when the misuse by a few of something that has been available for years has managed to ruin it for everyone.
It really speaks volumes about the power of the threat of a class action lawsuit in our country. I'm sure all of this stems from fear of that. Nobody wants to be the next tobacco company ...
It just makes me so angry when the irresponsible just make things harder for those who are responsible.
Oh well - this turned into a vent - sorry.
Ame
More info:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/11/infant.drugs/index.html
Here's a sad news story. 
Child deaths lead to FDA hearing on cough, cold meds
"Potential misuse of the product" is key wording for me in this article. I agree with Ame. It is parents/caregivers which misuse the meds, that is the problem, not the meds themselves. IMO
Annie, the news story in the last link I posted is about an infant who died from Dextromethorphan intoxication. Apparently, the parents followed doctor's orders. I do think these meds should be further investigated.
The parents "say" they followed the doctor's orders. Who really knows? It seems impossible to me for a child to die from having just the small amount of dm that would be in cold meds for his age.
Something doesn't sit quite right with me.
If there were some sort of allergy to dm that would cause it to be lethal in miniscule amounts why have we not heard about it before?
Yes, there is a lot of research that dm does little good in an infant's cough because the cough mechanism is different in an adult than a child, but - just because dm may not be effective in all cases (and sometimes it has and it hasn't for my kids) don't throw out all cold meds. Decongestant and antihistimine can be very helpful.
It's just one more layer of government. One more drug that will have to be gotten by prescription that most plans will refuse to pay for.
I do feel horrible for this family. I just wonder if somewhere someone didn't make a terrible mistake and give the child too much. There will never be a way to prove it, however.
Ame
Here's an article from the Wall Street Journal:
"It's Hard to Heed the Experts When Your Kid Has the Cold" by a doctor (I think a pediatrician but not sure)
Wall Street Journal
Interesting article and I think when confronted with a miserable kid and sleepless parents, parents are maybe going to opt for the medicine.
The things is there are safer options. Humidifiers, vicks, and lots of homeopathic options. I do understand why anyone would give an infant cold meds.
Of course I am also the mom that didn't use sunscreen until a year because of all the crap in it. I choose to keep them out of the sun or wear a hat and long sleeves!
"The risks with cough-and-cold medication are clear. If you don't know your phenylephrine from your acetaminophen, you can deliver more potency than you had intended by unknowingly combining products with similar ingredients and confusing chemical names"
Great article. Yet, he hides the crux of it - the above quote says it all. KNOW what you are giving your child. Know how it works, what it does, what it does not do.
Mildly "sedating" (as he terms what cold meds do) a sick child is beneficial because the child can rest and the body can heal.
I can only speak from my own experience. These meds work for my children. I hope I will still be able to get them.
Ame
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