Parents still giving cough, cold meds to kids under 2, poll shows

February 17, 2011

Many American parents of children aged 2 and younger still give over-the-counter

cough and cold medicines to their kids despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration

warnings to the contrary, researchers have found.

In response to research linking over-the-counter (or OTC) cough and cold

medicines to poisoning or death in hundreds of children ages 2 years and

younger, the FDA said in 2008 that the products should not be given to children

in this age group.

In addition, studies have shown that these medicines have little benefit in

controlling symptoms.

A new national poll of over 300 parents of children ages 6 months to 2 years

found that 61% of parents gave OTC cough and cold medicines to their children

within the last 12 months.

In addition, more than half of the parents said their child's doctor said the

medicines are safe for children under 2 years, and about half reported that

their doctor said the medicines are effective, according to the results released

Feb. 15 by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

Among the other findings:

Use of OTC medicines for children ages 2 and younger varied by race/ethnicity:

80% among blacks; 69% among Hispanics; and 57% among whites.

Use also differed by income: 80% among families with annual incomes of less than

$30,000 and 41% among families with annual incomes of $100,000 or more.

Wanting their child to be able to sleep better or to be more comfortable during

the day were cited by two-thirds of parents as " very important " reasons for

using the medications.

The recommendation of the child's health care provider was very important to 57%

of the parents.

" There are challenges to informing parents about this topic, " poll director Dr.

, an associate professor in the Child Health Evaluation and

Research Unit at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a university

news release.

" The FDA warning is specific to young children, age 2 and under, but parents of

those kids may not have heard the warnings issued more than two years ago. Each

year a 'new generation' of parents must be educated about a wide variety of

health care issues for their children, " he explained.

" Physicians are a valuable source of information for parents about this issue,

but it appears that physicians are not heeding FDA warnings about OTC cough and

cold medicines either. Kids will be safer when parents and doctors are all on

the same page in limiting these medicines to older children, " added.

Recommended Posts