Less than a week after the FDA reported that they saw little evidence that over-the-counter cold medications work in children under 6-years-old (but fearing that parents would give kids adult medicines if the products were taken off store shelves), drug companies conceded that children under four should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. Pediatricians have asked that the drug companies take this one step further by ceasing all marketing of these medications to children under six.According to an article Tuesday in the AP, drug companies stated that this warning, along with a warning to parents to not give children antihistamines to make them sleepy, will appear on the medications' labels this cold season.
The AP article offered these additional tips for giving cough and cold medicine to children (source: Consumer Healthcare Products Association):
- Give adult medicines to a child.
- Give two or more medicines with the same ingredients at the same time.
- Give antihistamines to make a child sleepy.
- Give the exact recommended dose, using the measuring device that comes with the medicine.
- Keep OTC medicines out of sight and out of reach.
- Consult their doctor if they have any questions.
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