Dangers of Pediatric Cold Medications

It’s frustrating to watch your child suffer with a cold, and it can be tempting to reach for cold medicine.  But recent research reveals that children’s cold remedies serious health threats – and are not even effective.

I have been teaching patient for more than 20 years that colds are a normal, natural and necessary as part of childhood.  By fighting off colds, your youngster’s immune system builds strength.  I encourage you as a parent to avoid cold medications whenever it is safe to do so, and focus on prevention. As a parent I know it is emotionally hard on us for your child to get sick and watch the perceived suffering that the child must go through to become a healthy adult. I usually tell my patients to not to give an unnecessary useless antibiotic’s to a child. This is like hiring a personal trainer and then letting the trainer do your workout. Children need to be exposed to “bugs”. I draw the line when the temperature is over 103 degrees, this is a signal that intervention may be needed.

For years, researchers have raised grave concerns about the safety and efficacy of pediatric cold medicine, It is widely known that they do not help and actually prolong the child's suffering. A healthy  well adjusted child will usually be “sick” for about 3 days. This is Normal.

A 2007 study reported that during 2004 to 2005, an estimated 1,519 children under the age of 2 were treated in US emergency departments for adverse events, form overdoses, associated with cough and cold medications.  Alarmingly, the study concluded that the dosages at which cough and cold medications can cause illness or death in children aged [less than] 2 years are not known. (Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2007;56:1-4.)

Over-the-counter medications for youngsters are harmful but they’re also ineffective.  According to the data that exist, there is not any evidence that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are effective in children.” (Curr Opin Pediatr 2006;18:184-8.)

Finally, in October 2007, the makers of all over-the-counter oral cough and cold medicines for infants announced that they were pulling those products off the market.

Federal Health advisors also warn that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn’t be used in children younger than 6 years of age.