Pediatrician Offers Perspective On FDA Cold Meds Recommendation
(Washington, DC) -- The FDA is recommending that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be given to children under two-years-old. The agency says the medicines treat only symptoms and not the actual illnesses. Doctor Gwenn O'Keeffe, a board-certified pediatrician and CEO of the Pediatrics Now website, agrees. She said many pediatricians haven't recommended such medicines for quite some time because they simply don't work. Dr. O'Keeffe reminds parents that a cold is a "benign" illness that usually lasts only three to five days. Some remedies that can help are using steam and giving plenty of liquids to loosen mucus. Dr. O'Keeffe also said for children over the age of one, honey can be given to help soothe a cough. Dangerous side effects such as convulsions, rapid heart rates and even death can be caused by over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children under the age of two. The meds' lack of effectiveness prompted the FDA's recommendation. An FDA review of the medications' effects on older children is underway. Parents of children from two-to-eleven-years-old are urged to follow dosing instructions if they choose to use the medications. |