Cough Medicines A Waste Of Money For Young Kids

March 2, 2009 by tanya
Filed under: Baby Health, News

Government health experts have admitted that popular over-the-counter cough and cold medicines probably do not work on children.

New evidence also indicates that they may cause side effects such as hallucinations, insomnia, and allergic reactions.

Parents are being advised not waste money on buying the medicines, but not to worry if they have used them in the past.

Many of the medicines can no longer be sold to children under six, and better information will be provided for Pharmacists and parents.

Calpol, a popular pain relief remedy, used to lower a child’s temperature, will not be affected by the change in rules.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommend parents use more simple remedies such as honey and lemon to ease a cough.

Dr June Raine from the MHRA said: “Over-the-counter medicines used to treat coughs and colds have been used for many years.
“However, they came into use when clinical trials were not required to demonstrate that they worked in children. This means they were not specially designed for children.”

The MHRA have named eight medicines that do work and are safe to use on young children over the age of one. See below for the full list.

Recommended For Under 6s
Simple Cough Mixtures:
-Baby Meltus Cough Linctus.
-Beechams Veno’s Honey and Lemon (Not to be given under 1 year).
-Benylin Children’s Tickly Coughs (Not to be given under 3 months).
-Benylin Tickly Coughs (Non drowsy) (Not to be given under one year).
-CalCough TicklyCare Glycerin Lemon & Honey with Glucose (Not recommended under one year).
-Lemsip Cough Dry
-Tixylix Baby Syrup (Not recommended under 3 months).

For Pain And To Lower Temperature:
-Calpol Infant Suspension.
-Calprofen (3+ months).
-Cuprofen Suspension for Children.
-Disprol Paracetamol Suspension (from 3 months).
-Disprol Soluble Paracetamol Tablets (from 3+ months).
-Medinol Under 6 Under 6 Paracetamol Oral Suspension.
-Nurofen for Children 3 months to 12 years.
-Nurofen for Children Baby (From 3 months).