Use paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat colds in children
Children suffering from a cold should only be treated with paracetamol
or ibuprofen to treat fever and with a cough syrup if they have a cough,
according to new Government advice.
Following a review of over-the-counter products used to treat cough and
colds in children, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
says that the following medicines should no longer be licensed for children
under the age of two years: the antihistamines brompheniramine, chlorphenamine
and diphenhydramine; the antitussives dextrometorphan and pholcodine;
the expectorants guaifenesin and ipecacuanha; and the decongestants phenylephrine,
pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, oxymetazoline and xylometazoline.
The MHRA adds that the pharmaceutical industry has agreed to remove the
dosage instructions on products for children under two years and to add
further instructions for treating children aged two to six years. Products
with updated packaging will be in pharmacies by October.
A US safety review of childen’s cough and cold medicines revealed
a number of serious reports, mostly involving children under two years.
In many cases children were given too much medicine because parents were
confused about the correct dose or had given more than one product with
the same ingredient. UK data suggest that children under two years are
at a greater risk of potential harm and so new advice is being issued
as a precautionary measure.
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