Pharma Talk #5

Today I am going to discuss about the topic that, "Is opioid cold medicines are suitable for children or not?" Well, the last report from FDA says that this type of medicines are not suitable for the kids if he/she suffers from cough or cold. Now what can parents do when their babies and young children have a cough or cold? According to FDA, it depends on the child's age. Although most colds in children don't have serious complications  they can cause worry to caregivers, and are among the top reason to visit doctor. The U.S Food and Drug Administration doesn't recommend over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines for children younger than 2. For infants and children younger than 2, those medicines may have serious and potentially life threatening side effects.Those products containing DECONGESTANT or ANTIHISTAMINE when given to them it may cause reported side effects include convulsions, rapid heart rates and death. 

A meeting about the safety and effectiveness of cough and cold drug product use in children by the U.S Food and Drug Administration in 2007 revealed that there were many report of harm, even death, in children who used these products. During 2004-2005, an estimated 1,519 children less than 2 years of age were treated in U.S. emergency department for adverse events, including overdoses, associated with cough and cold medications. When it is medicated to children over 2 year of age, parents and caregivers should use caution. Cough and cold products for children older than 2 years of age were not affected by the voluntary removal and these products are still sold in pharmacies and other retail outlets. It should not be used in children under four years of age. The FDA also warns that children younger than 12 should not take codeine products to treat pain or cough because of risk of developing life threatening problems. A cold is self limited, and most patients will get better on their own in a week or two without needing medications. For older children,some OTC medicines can help relieve the symptoms-but won't charge the natural course of the cold or make it go away faster. Cough help the body clear the mucus out if the airway gets blocked and protect the lungs; so you don't want to suppress all cough. Overall news has said that the FDA will no longer allow opioid containing cough and cold medicines to be prescribed for children younger than 18 years. So my suggestion is that if your children suffer from cold, don't get freaked out, handle the situation calmly, and of course stay healthy and make others too.