Cold comfort

Don8217;t rush for that bottle of decongestant even if your child has a bad cold.

Last month, a team of safety experts asked the US8217;s Food and Drug Administration FDA to consider an outright ban on over-the-counter, multi-symptom cough and cold medicines for children under six. It8217;s a recommendation that parents in India should also take note of.

The report pointed out that the impact of antihistamines or antiallergic formulations on young children could be dangerous. 8220;From 1969 to 2006, at least 54 children died after taking decongestants, and 69 died after taking antihistamines in the US,8221; the report said. In India, no such survey has been carried out but here too doctors warn against the risks of overmedication.

Says Dr Satish Saluja, senior paediatrician, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 8220;Cold and cough, especially in case of children below six years, does not call for too much medication. The most common cause for these ailments is allergy and viral infection, which takes its own course to subside. Medicines give a temporary symptomatic relief but can also be dangerous for kids. Overdose can lead to drowsiness and irritability and even lead to irregular heartbeats. In extreme cases, it can lead to convulsions.8221;

The petition followed a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that more than 1,500 children under the age of two had suffered serious health problems between 2004 and 2005 after being treated with common cough and cold medicines. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, an American industry trade group that has consistently defended the safety of pediatric cough and cold medicines, has also recommended that the FDA consider mandatory warning labels which state that the drugs should not be given to children younger than two.

Some of the most common OTC formulations given to children in India include cetzine, atarax and chlorpheniramine. Other popular formulations, prescribed when a child has flu with minor fever, include nimesulide or a combination of nimesulide and paracetamol. While paracetamol is the safest anti-fever salt for children, nimesulide is banned even for adults in most countries. Medicines containing codeine are also harmful for a child8217;s system. Antibiotics are also overused in treating such ailments even in cases when a child has a viral infection . Antibiotics are effective only in case of bacterial infections.

Pharma companies promise to bring out remedies with a lesser sedative effect but the expert prescription is to go the 8220;natural8221; way. A drop of eucalyptus oil or a light vaporub can relieve the child. 8220;Since cold brings down the water level in the body, parents must encourage their little ones to drink more water,8221; adds Dr Saluja.

Though many cough and cold medicines now advise parents to 8220;consult a physician8221; before use, the presence of the word 8220;infant8221; in the labels of a number of drugs also misleads and encourages the parents to pick up these drugs. It8217;s a practice fraught with risk.

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8220;First, all antihistamines or antiallergic formulations must be sparingly used in case of kids below six. And if at all they are required, then must be given under strict medical supervision. Dosage prescribed for kids is decided as per their body weight, hence, varies according to the child8217;s physical growth,8221; says Dr Anjali Saxena, consultant paediatrician, Max Health Care.