KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Avoid cough and cold medicines in kids younger than four

By Lila Havens
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Don't be lulled into thinking that cough and cold medicines are harmless because they are sold in grocery stores and say "children's" on the label. Giving children too much cough and cold medicine can be dangerous. Hundreds of young children have suffered accidental overdoses from common over-the-counter medicines, and a few have died.

In 2008, the makers of many children's cough and cold remedies changed their labels to have the following warnings:

• Do not give to children younger than 4 years of age.
• Do not use antihistamine products to sedate or make a child sleepy.

Most cough and cold remedies contain at least three active ingredients, all of them powerful medicines. Some of these ingredients can cause heart rhythm or blood vessel problems that can lead to high blood pressure or stroke. Antihistamines may make some breathing problems worse. Young children are especially sensitive to these effects. Many combination cold medicines also contain a pain reliever or fever reducer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Overdose can occur if you give these along with other medicines for pain or fever. Never give any medicine containing aspirin to anyone age 18 or younger. Aspirin in children and teens increases the risk for a serious condition called Reye's syndrome.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other groups continue to review the safety of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children.

Protect your child from medication side effects
Keep in mind that cold medicines won't cure a cold. In fact, studies have shown that they don't even relieve symptoms in children younger than age 6.

If you do give over-the-counter medicine to your child, follow these guidelines:

• Talk to your doctor before you give your child any over-the-counter medicine.
• Never use an over-the-counter medication to make a child sleepy.
• Do not give a child any medicine that is labeled only for older children or adults. Choose only products meant for your child's specific age group.
• Always read the "Drug Facts" on the label. Check all the ingredients, and be sure you understand the warnings.
• Never give a child more than the recommended dose. And do not give the medicine more often than the label says.
• Do not use kitchen spoons to measure liquid medicines. Use the dropper or dosing spoon that came with the medicine, or buy one with the right measurements at your drugstore.
• Do not use a medicine if you aren't sure how to give it to a child or whether it is safe for children. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist first.
• Keep all medicines out of sight and reach of children.

How to help your child feel better
Children get lots of colds, and it's natural for parents to want to help them feel better. Instead of reaching for a medicine bottle, try these time-tested and doctor-approved ways to keep your child comfortable:

• Offer extra fluids to ease congestion and reduce fever.
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.
• Use saline nose drops in a child over 12 weeks old to help clear out mucous. For older babies, use only one drop at a time and apply to only one side at a time. A bulb syringe may help clear a stuffy nose if a child is too young to blow his nose.
• Use a cool-mist humidifier to moisten the air and make breathing easier. Make sure to clean the humidifier according to the manufacturer's instructions.

When to call the doctor for cold symptoms
If a child age 12 weeks or younger has any of the following cold symptoms, you should contact a doctor:

• Symptoms are not responding to treatment
• Symptoms last for two weeks or longer
• Fever lasts more than 72 hours
• Your child had been getting better and then the symptoms became worse
• New symptoms appear
• Your child has a weak immune system or other medical problem

Get immediate emergency help for:

• Fever of 105 degrees F or higher, or 100.4 degrees F in a child 12 weeks of age or younger
• Severe headache or stiff neck

Call 9-1-1 if your child is having any trouble breathing.

SOURCES:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Revised product labels for pediatric over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2008;57(43):1180.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Children and colds. Accessed: 11/18/2010
• Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Children's OTC cough and cold medicines. Accessed: 11/18/2010
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Using over-the-counter cough and cold products in children. Accessed: 11/18/2010
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cold and cough medicines: information for parents. Accessed: 11/18/2010
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infant deaths associated with cough and cold medications - two states, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2007;56(01):1-4.

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