1.16.2007

Cold medicine kills infants

"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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