Very Important, All mom's Please Read!!

MAKERS PULL COLD MEDICINES FOR INFANTS
(CNN) -- The makers of several leading over-the-counter cold medications are voluntarily withdrawing products sold for infants, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association said Thursday.
art.childcough.01.gi.jpg

Fourteen over-the-counter cold and cough medicines are being withdrawn from sale.

The trade group said the products were being withdrawn "out of an abundance of caution" and insisted the products are safe when used as directed.

"The reason the makers of over-the-counter, oral cough and cold medicines for infants are voluntarily withdrawing these medicines is that there have been rare patterns of misuse leading to overdose recently identified, particularly in infants, and safety is our top priority," Linda A. Suydam, the association's president, said in a statement.

"It's important to point out that these medicines are safe and effective when used as directed, and most parents are using them appropriately," she said.

CVS stores planned to stop selling the withdrawn products and store-brand equivalents, it said. Refunds are being offered if customers return the products. Video Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta on whether the medicines are effective »
Withdrawn Medicines
Dimetapp

    * Decongestant Plus Cough Infant Drops
    * Decongestant Infant Drops

Little Colds

    * Decongestant Plus Cough
    * Multi-Symptom Cold Formula

Pediacare

    * Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine)
    * Infant Drops Decongestant & Cough (containing pseudoephedrine)
    * Infant Dropper Decongestant (containing phenylephrine)
    * Infant Dropper Long-Acting Cough
    * Infant Dropper Decongestant & Cough (containing phenylephrine)

Robitussin

    * Infant Cough DM Drops

Triaminic

    * Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant
    * Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant Plus Cough

Tylenol

    * Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold
    * Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold & Cough

Last month, federal health officials recommended that the "consult your physician" advice to parents on the labels of cold and cough medicines aimed at young children be dropped and a warning not to use the medications in children under 2 be added. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will officially consider revising the labels at a meeting next week.

After reviewing reports of side effects over the last four decades, the FDA found 54 child fatalities from over-the-counter decongestant medicines.

The agency found 69 reports of children's deaths connected with antihistamines, which are used to treat runny noses.

Baltimore health commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein and other health officials in Maryland had requested a review by the FDA, saying 900 children under four in Maryland had overdosed on the products in 2004.

"When it comes to children under age two there are no recommended doses on these products so it's not reasonable to claim they are safe and effective when used as directed," Sharfstein told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Consumer Healthcare Products Association is a trade group representing U.S. manufacturers and distributors of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements.

The withdrawal does not affect medicines intended for children ages 2 and older.

The association said it would back any FDA move to change the advice on oral children's cough medicine.
advertisement

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta said over-the-counter cold medicines can cause side effects such as sedation, irritability, allergy and heart abnormalities.

Instead of the drugs, Gupta said, parents of sick infants can use vaporizers or hydrators, saline nose drops, rubber nose bulbs, and chicken soup and other fluids to keep an infant hydrated.

Link to Story
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/11/infant.drugs/index.html

Please please please heed this warning. If you have any of these meds, toss them out. It is not worth the risk. these drug makers are not going to coluntarily pull this stuff if there weren't enough concern to warrant it. And remember, this is not regaridng meds for children aged 2 and over, only children under age 2.

[Me2mommy2b]

I was just going to post it b/c I saw it on the local news.  I was terrified to hear it b/c I've given DD PediaCare when she was around 6 months old.

[AndiJ78]

I have given all of my kids cold medicine, Little Colds specifically when they were under 2. I know a major issue is when parents inadvertently overdose their children by either giving too much or giving it too often. I chucked all my infant cold stuff when this first came out months ago, but it was good to find a list of meds to post for the moms out there.

It just goes back to good old Saline drops and plenty of fluids. I have always favored those anyway. The only time my kids ever got the medicine was when it was severely interfering with their ability to nurse.

Anyway, I hope this helps keep some babies safe this coming cold and flu season.

[mum2beagain]

Thanks for that Andi, thankfully I haven't got or ever used any of those products. I do keep Robitussin in for James mind, otherwise he can cough all night. I only ever give him one dose before bed though. It's quite scary really, all we wnat is for our kids to feel better but I guess under two their little bodies struggle to handle all these drugs.

[Nicole624]

I seen this on the news. Its so scary everything is being recalled! Thanks for sharing!!

[Me2mommy2b]

I have given her PediaCare but less than the recommended amount (I"m very anti meds) and that is why it took forever for her to get better.  I would rather give the body a chance to get better on its own, whenever possible...to build up a better immune system.

[daprincess21]

What about the antihistamines that the docter prescibes? actual prescriptions? thats all i have used.