"Clinicians should use caution when prescribing cough and cold medications to children under 2" Why is the CDC (and not the FDA?!?) issuing this warning? The results of a long-term investigation show that over-the-counter medications used to treat common coughs and colds were responsible in the deaths of multiple infants in 2005 - and these are just the documented cases. Medicines involved: acetaminophen (Tylenol), detromethorphan (Robotussin), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed and just about every other OTC decongestant) and carbinoxamine (Pediatex, Palcid).
I'd venture to say that, in one fell swoop, this class of cold-related suppressive cocktails generated more adverse event reports than any herb has over the course of its documented use. It's good that we get a warning. And a good dozen references on Google News. It's hard to hide from the media frenzy! But I can understand all they hype: you couple these deaths with the use of pseudoephedrine in methamphetamine production, and it's almost as newsworthy as a poorly designed study on how Echinacea doesn't help children's colds. I think we should ban Echinacea from pharmacy shelves! Pass the Tylenol Cold & Flu, please!
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