Cough and Cold Medicines

Cough and Cold Medicines

You may have noticed that all the liquid cough and cold medicines for babies and infants

(the ones with droppers) have been taken off the pharmacy shelves. That’s a good

development. First, they never worked well in children. More importantly, they were

potentially dangerous, especially for young children. Because of deaths and other adverse

outcomes, in January 2008, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory that they never be

used under 2 years of age.

In October 2008 both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control issued

guidelines restricting the use of cold medication to children over 6 and 4 years respectively.

there does not appear to consensus except regarding the use of decongestants.

- Reason 1: Not approved by FDA because dosage not studied in this age range

- Reason 2: Risk of dosage error causing high blood pressure

Cough and Cold Medicines: What Do They Do?

Antihistamines (such as Benadryl): No help for colds. Helpful for nasal allergies or

allergic coughs caused by pollen or cat dander. Also great for hives or itchy rashes.

Decongestants (such as Pseudoephedrine and Phenylephrine): May help reduce nasal

congestion in some children with colds, but only lasts for a few hours and can cause

elevated blood pressure and restlessness.

Dextromethorphan (DM): A cough suppressant that doesn’t do much for children. Over

1 year of age, honey has been proven to work better (recent research).

DO NOT USE HONEY OR CORN SYRUP IN CHILDREN UNDER 12 MONTHS OF AGE

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Advil): Useful for treating pain or fever.

Antibiotics: Never helpful for colds (which are caused by viruses) unless children also

have a bacterial complication such as an ear or sinus infection.

How to Make Your Child More Comfortable with Home Remedies

Try the following home remedies to manage your child’s illness without any cough or

cold medications:

Runny Nose: Suction or blow! And remember, when the nose turns into a faucet, it’s

washing out the virus invaders.

Blocked Nose: Use nasal washes.

• Use saline nose drops or spray to loosen up the dried mucus, followed by blowing

or suctioning the nose. Do nasal washes at least 4 times per day.

Coughing or Coughing Spasms: Use homemade medicines and warm mist.

• Warm clear fluids (e.g., water or apple juice) to treat the cough (if over 1 month

of age). Dosage: 1-3 teaspoons (5-15 ml) four times per day when coughing for

kids under 1 year of age. Over 1 year of age, can offer unlimited amounts.

• Expose to warm mist (e.g., foggy bathroom).

• Honey (or corn syrup if honey not available) 1/2 to 1 tsp (2 to 5 ml) as needed as

a homemade cough medicine (if over 1 year of age)

DO NOT USE HONEY OR CORN SYRUP IN CHILDREN UNDER 12 MONTHS OF AGE

• Cough drops (or hard candy) to coat the irritated throat. (if over 6 years of age)

Increase Fluids: Drink plenty of fluids. Staying well hydrated thins the body’s

secretions, making it easier to cough and blow the nose.

Increase Humidity: Humidity can reduce nasal congestion and coughing.

In summary, home remedies work better than medicines for treating coughs and colds.

Permission granted to make copies for patient care purposes.