Doctors Call on FDA To Keep Cold Medicines Away From Children

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have unproven results and may be dangerous for young children, a group of doctors and consumer advocates said. The group is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the sale of popular products such as Dimetapp and NyQuil for use in children ages 2 to 6.

The group of medical experts from various organizations also targeted the brands Triaminic, Tylenol, and PediaCare as being unsuitable for use in young children.

The use of cold and cough medicines in young children has recently been criticized for not being proven effective and presenting unknown risks to the patients. The products have been sold for decades and aim to combat runny noses, coughs, congestion and other symptoms. But they can potentially increase the risk of stroke, seizures and other complications, often because of dosing errors, the medical experts said.

In January 2008, the FDA recommended against the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children up to 2 years old. Some products aimed at that age group have been recalled and the agency is considering whether to take action for older children.

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