In the midst of a horrible cold and flu season this year, the FDA re-issues the same warning that they made last October. . .DON’T give your children under two years of age, cold medicine. The jury is still out on what age it is appropriate to give your child cold medicines and some experts are saying no one under the age of six should have them. But everyone agrees: NO COLD MEDICINES FOR INFANTS UNDER TWO!
I figured since the FDA is re-issuing the warning, I would re-blog on the issue. Some parents (as is apparent in the comment section on another one of my blogs) think that it’s impossible to overdose an infant if you follow the directions and to put it frankly, all the fuss is stupid.
To this, I point out that first of all, most doctors do not believe that cough suppressants are effective in infants and toddlers. So essentially, you’re giving your child drugs that don’t work in their systems. (If you’re one of those parents who swears it works–go google “placebo effect.”) Secondly, more than 1,500 babies and toddlers had to stay in the emergency room as a result of overdosing on cold drugs. As I’ve mentioned before, the packaging is very confusing. Some medications say “infants” on the front but when you read the dosing instructions carefully, you’ll find that the medication is intended for children over two years of age. Interestingly though, through a recent voyage into the land of family head colds, I have learned that packaging has changed to make it more clear. Also, while you can use Children’s Motrin or Tylenol on an infant by adjusting the dosage, you cannot do the same for a cold medication–but not all parents may realize this.
I think so often in our society we are into the quick fix. I think it is this “quick fix” mentality that leads to the over prescribing of anti-biotics, of reflux medication and of other sundry remedies to ailments that really would be better treated using those “archaic” remedies of vaporizers, steam, an aspirator and saline spray.
So parents remember, the best medication for a cold is preventative: wash your hands frequently, avoid other sick people, and even regularly clean highly ‘touched’ surfaces (like the phone, computer, door knobs) and breastfeed if possible. Your second defense are those old tried and true remedies mentioned above. If your baby has a high fever that persists, a hoarse seal like cough, or a cough that produces greenish or yellowish tinged mucus–go to your doctor. Remember too, that there are no antibiotics for viruses; only bacterial infections. (And colds, mom and dads, are caused by viruses!)