Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15170
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Publication type: news
Tobin D.
Cold remedies ‘bad for children’
The Sunday Times 2009 Mar 1
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5823082.ece
Full text:
CHILDREN under 12 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicines because they are ineffective and can be harmful, Britain’s medicines regulator will warn.
A simple homemade preparation of honey and lemon is likely to be just as effective as popular remedies such as Lemsip, Day Nurse and Sudafed, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will say this week.
A review concluded that there was “no robust evidence that these medicines work” in children; it found that they could cause side effects including sleep disturbance, allergic reactions and hallucinations.
New, clearer advice will be published on packets for dosage of children between six and 12 and more research is being done to see what benefits, if any, the medicines have.
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As part of a “change in thinking”, pharmacists will be issued with new advice and many remedies will no longer be sold for use on children under six.
“Many years ago it was thought that we could use adult doses in a watered-down way but we now know that children’s bodies are different,” said Jeremy Mead,a spokesman for the MHRA.
However, the agency said parents should not worry if they have used the medicines in the past and shop shelves will not be cleared of current stocks.
Pain relief preparations and remedies used to lower a child’s temperature, such as Calpol, are unaffected by the new rules. For children under six the MHRA recommends that parents concentrate on keeping their child’s temperature down.
MEDICINES NOT CURRENTLY LABELLED WITH DOSES FOR UNDER SIXES
Afrazine Nasal
Allens Pine and Honey Balsam
Beechams Decongestant Plus with Paracetamol
Beechams Flu Plus
Beechams Powders
Benilyn Chesty Coughs (Non Drowsy)
Benilyn Chesty Coughs (Original)
Benilyn Dry Coughs (Non Drowsy)
Benilyn Dry Coughs (Original)
Benylin 4 Flu
Benylin Cold & Flu Max strength
Benylin Cough and Congestion
Benylin Dual Action Night Cough & Congestion Care
Pholcodine linctus
Covonia Original Bronchial Balsam
Day Nurse
Fenox Nasal
Lemsip Max Cold & Flu
Lemsip Max Day & Night Cold & Flu relief
Lemsip Max Daytime Cold & Flu relief
Lemsip Max Sinus Capsules Non- Drowsy
SinutabNon-Drowsy
Sudafed Congestion & Headache Capsules Non-Drowsy
Sudafed Congestion Cold and Flu Non-Drowsy
Sudafed Dual Relief
Otrivine Antistin Eye Drops
Otrivine Mucron
Robitussin Dry Cough Medicine
Tixylix Dry Cough
Vicks Cold & Flu Care Daymed Capsules
Vicks Cold & Flu care Medinite Complete Syrup
Vicks Sinex Decongestant Nasal
Vicks Sinex Micromist
Vicks Sinex Soother
MEDICINES CURRENTLY LABELLED WITH DOSES FOR UNDER SIXES
Beechams Veno’s Expectorant
Beechams Veno’s Honey & Lemon
Benilyn Childrens Chesty Coughs
Calcough Chesty
Benilyn Childrens Coughs and Colds
Benilyn Childrens Night Coughs
Benylin Children’s Dry Cough
Calcold
Calpol Night
Care Glycerin lemon & honey with Ipecac
Cofsed Linctus
Family Meltus Chesty
Coughs Honey and Lemon Flavour
Galenphol Linctus
Galenphol Paediatric Linctus
Galpseud linctus
GalsudJunior
Meltus Chesty Coughs with Catarrh
Junior Meltus Dry Coughs with Congestion
Lemsip Cough and Cold Chesty Cough Medicine
Lemsip Cough Chesty
Medised for Children
Multi-Action Actifed
Multi-Action Actifed Chesty Coughs
Mutli-Action Actifed Dry Coughs
Non-Drowsy Sudafed Childrens
Non Drowsy Sudafed Expectorant
Non Drowsy Sudafed Linctus
Otrivine Childrens Nasal Drops
Robitussin Chesty Cough Medicine
Robitussin Chesty Cough with Congestion
Tixilix Cough and Cold
Tixylix Chesty Cough
Tixylix Night Cough
Vicks Cough Syrup for Chesty Coughs
Vicks Cough Syrup for Dry Coughs
