Kids in U.S. still taking cough and cold meds despite warnings
06.08.2008 04:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
About one in 10 children south of the border take cough and cold medications in any given week, new data shows. In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that children under two not take cough and cold medications and recommended that kids under six not take them as well. The warning came after thousands of adverse reactions to the drugs in young children were reported, which led to hospitalizations and in some cases deaths. Health Canada issued an advisory to parents last fall, urging them to consult a doctor before giving their children cough and cold drugs. "Given concerns about potential harmful effects and lack of evidence proving that these medications are effective in young children, the fact that one in ten U.S. children is using one of these medications is striking," said lead author Louis Vernacchio, an assistant professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, in a release. According to a study published in the August issue of Pediatrics, researchers at Boston University looked at data from between 1999 and 2006 collected through a national phone survey. The survey examined the use of cough and cold medication. The survey found that 10.1 per cent of U.S. kids took at least one cough and cold drug during a given week. It also revealed that: - Children's exposure was highest to decongestants (6.3 per cent of all drugs) and antihistamines (6.3 per cent)
- Kids' exposure to anti-cough ingredients was 4.1 per cent.
- Children's exposure to expectorants was 1.5 per cent.
Kids under two and those aged two to five were most exposed to cough and cold drugs, researchers found. On a positive note, there was a slight decline in cough and cold drug usage, falling to 8.4 per cent in 2005 -2006, from 12.3 per cent in 1999-2000. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal Links7,000 kids visit ER each year due to cough and cold meds: CDCCough, cold medicine too dangerous for toddlers, U.S. FDA rulesHealth Canada issues advisory on cough meds in kids under 2Health HeadlinesOne cigarette can get some people hooked: studyIt may take just one tobacco cigarette for some people to get addicted to nicotice because of how their brains are wired, a Canadian study suggests.Kids in U.S. still taking cough and cold meds despite warningsAbout one in 10 children south of the border take cough and cold medications in any given week, new data shows.Hitting head on diving board a common injury for kidsChildren diving into backyard pools risk serious injury, and their parents and coaches need to do more to keep them safe, say researchers who tracked injuries in the U.S. Critics call Ont. health tax review a 'sham'A forced review of Ontario's controversial health tax is little more than a "sham" because the province has no intention of scrapping it, critics charged Tuesday as public hearings abruptly ended after only a few short hours of testimony.End routine prostate cancer screening in men over 75: U.S. task forceDoctors should stop routine prostate cancer screening of men over 75 because there is more evidence of harm than benefit, a U.S. federal task force advised Monday in a new blow to a much scrutinized medical test. Health FeaturesIN DEPTHPhthalatesAre chemicals that make plastic bendy a health hazard?AIDS RESEARCHLife expectancyBig jump in survival rates for those on HIV drugsIN DEPTHNanotechnologyReally, really small stuff that's really big. But is it safe?ANOTHER VIEWDrugs and drivingNew law a 'positive step', analyst saysHEALTH & FITNESSPeter HadzipetrosBreaking up's not that hard to doPeople who read this also read …
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