Cough and cold medicines can be harmful, and even fatal, and should be used with caution in children under 2 years of age, said Dr. Adam Cohen, an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study appears in the Jan_12 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the CDC.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only approved the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children over the age of 2. In children younger than 2, studies have concluded that such medications are no more effective than a placebo. As a result, appropriate dosing is not known.
“Parents should never give medicine without consulting a health-care provider, even over-the-counter,” Cohen added. “Many over-the-counter medicines may be marketed for infants, and there are no approved dosing recommendations from the FDA for this age group. There’s very little evidence that they help in children under 2.”