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2007-9-4 12:31:43 |
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Cough and cold medications do not help infants and they can cause serious complications or even deaths, suggests a report published in the January 12, 2007 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report has linked the deaths of three infants aged between 1 and 6 months to use of cough and cold medications. Medical examiners or coroners found 4700 to 7100 ng/mL of the decongestant pseudoephedrine in the dead infants, compared to 180 to 500 ng/ml in children ages 2 to 12 years who take a normal dose of cough and cold medications. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in an editorial that the cough and cold medications do not help children younger than 2 years old. Because of the toxicity, the authors suggest that "parents and other caregivers should not administer cough and cold medications to children in this age group without first consulting a health-care provider and should follow the provider's instructions precisely |
