Yeah for the Drug Companies!

Well, at least they said something that can help kids. That is that no cold medicines should be used on kids under 4. Of course, most of us on this site would not do that anyway let alone use cold medicines at all, BUT it's good to be in touch with the conventional wisdom when communicating to others. It gives you an "in" to offer advice on using gentle herbs for them, such as the ones we cover in the Village Herbalist episode on herbs and children.

I think the main reason I was happy to see this was because someone recently told me that it is common these days for parents to give kids Benadryl to help them sleep. While it is more mainstream for people to give their kids this when in situations such as on airplanes, there are others who use it regularly. That REALLY alarmed me. Really? Do you know people who do this for real?

I'll post the article below. However, the thing that caught my attention was the very end of the article that said..

Colds usually clear up by themselves after a few days, and many doctors say rest and drinking plenty of fluids are all that's needed.

If that's so, I wonder if that works for adults too..... Hmmm.... Could adults be wasting billions of dollars too?

Well, in any case it is "A huge step forward," as a doctor in this article says.

I just wonder how Wal-Mart will protest.

Here ya go....

Drug companies: No cold medicines for kids under 4

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR – 59 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) —

Children under 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, drug companies said Tuesday in a concession to pediatricians who doubt the drugs do much good and worry about risks.

The voluntary change in advice to parents comes less than a week after federal health officials said they also saw little evidence that the drugs work. But government officials were afraid that taking the medicines off store shelves might prompt parents to give their children adult medicines.

The drug makers said they will also add a warning that parents should not give antihistamines to children to make them sleepy. These are allergy-relief medications often found in medicines that combine several ingredients to treat a variety of symptoms.

The new measures "reflect industry's overall commitment to the continued safe and appropriate use of children's oral OTC cough and cold medicines," Linda Suydam, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, said in announcing the changes on behalf of the companies.

"We are doing this voluntarily out of an abundance of caution," she added. The new instructions will appear on products distributed for the coming cold season. Last year, the companies pulled medicines for babies and tots under 2 from the market.

Pediatricians, who have been calling for a ban on OTC cough and cold remedies for children under 6, welcomed the industry's latest shift.

"It's a huge step forward," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore's health commissioner. "There is no evidence that these products work in kids, and there is definitely evidence of serious side effects."

Problems with OTC cough and cold medicines send some 7,000 children to hospital emergency rooms each year, with symptoms including hives, drowsiness and unsteady walking. Many kids overdose by taking medicines when their parents aren't looking.

Since a majority of the problems involve 2- to 3-year-olds, the industry's new instructions, if followed by parents, should help.

"The 2- and 3-year-olds are definitely the highest risk," said Sharfstein. "More than 50 percent of the problem is with these kids. "If they don't have this stuff around the home, they're less likely to grab it and ingest it."

Pediatricians still support recalling the medicines for children under 6, and the Food and Drug Administration is studying their effectiveness for children under 12. But federal health officials said at a public hearing last week that it could take them a year or more to make a final decision and order changes.

Leading cough and cold brands include Dimetapp, Pediacare, Robitussin, Triaminic, Little Colds and versions of Tylenol that have ingredients to treat cold symptoms. U.S. families spend at least $287 million a year on cold remedies for kids, according to Nielsen Co. statistics that do not include Wal-Mart sales.

The industry also said it is expanding an educational campaign aimed at getting parents to be more careful about giving their kids cough and cold medicines.
Parents should never:

_Give adult medicines to a child.
_Give two or more medicines with the same ingredients at the same time.
_Give antihistamines to make a child sleepy.
Parents should:
_Give the exact recommended dose, using the measuring device that comes with the medicine.
_Keep OTC medicines out of sight and out of reach.
_Consult their doctor if they have any questions.
Colds usually clear up by themselves after a few days, and many doctors say rest and drinking plenty of fluids are all that's needed.

Comments

[Angelica]

Wow...I would've never guessed drug companies would do this! I am a nanny for two, and the parents don't hesitate to give their 2 and 6 year old cough meds/ allergy meds when they get the slightest runny nose or cough. Sadly, they have the wrong impression on herbal remedies and do not encourage help through these means. I know the girls could kick any health glitch with the help of herbs and good nutrition! It really breaks my heart, but I have to respect the parent's decisions....

[Susan Thames]

John,
I really think this is awesome. Now I just hope parents pay attention. I have emailed this post to all my friends with small children and those expecting small children. Thank you for putting this on your blog. Also, I wanted to leave you a note thanking you for your wonderful websites. I am in a learning program to become an "Herbalist" (hopefully this is just maybe the middle of the 7 life times it takes to be an herbalist!) Anyway, I really enjoy your website and have learned soooo much and have been able to apply this knowledge to my learning program. Being able to study and learn about a specific herb a month has also been a great learning tool. Thank you.

[Gabriel Kingsley]

WOW here here it is about time they did this. I do know a certain someone whom told me to give my daughter a swig of that "Bedtime so you can sleep Medicine" (trying to be nice and not list name) so my daughter would just pass out and that she learned that while working at the hospital she works at. I was appalled!

I do remember a last fall/winter they where mentioning a change with medicines (family doc told me) and that there where no cold meds for children BUT not true Tylenol and Pedicare have (or had) Infant formulas so I wonder if there going to take those off the shelves??

Thanks for this post John it is great to stay informed.
Gabby