A new survey from the University of Michigan shows many parents often give their children over-the-counter unprescribed cough and cold medicines, which may have serious side effects, reports Science Daily.
The latest survey from the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health shows that over 40 percent of parents reportedly give their children below age four, cough and cold medicines and 25 percent parents gave decongestants, says the report.
The growing concern of parents giving their young infants over-the-counter medicines caused the federal Food and Drug Administration to issue an advisory in 2008 to the manufacturers to avoid the misuse of these medicines. In response, manufacturers of over-the-counter cough and cold products changed the labels by adding a warning not to use these medicines for children below age 4.
Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, said that these medications do not reduce the "time the infection will last and misuse could lead to serious harm."
"What can be confusing, however, is that often these products are labeled prominently as 'children's' medications. The details are often on the back of the box, in small print. That's where parents and caregivers can find instructions that they should not be used in children under 4 years old," Davis says
Misuse of these products may cause serious conditions in children such as allergic reactions, increased or uneven heart rate, drowsiness or sleeplessness, slow and shallow breathing, confusion or hallucinations, convulsions, nausea and constipation, says the report.
The survey also found that the end result did not alter with parents from different race, gender or economy.
Davis notes that not all products used by adults can help infants too. He advises parents read the instructions or consult with their pediatrician before using over-the-counter medication for their children. "Because young children often suffer from cold-like symptoms, more research is needed to test the safety and efficacy of these cough and cold medicines in our littlest patients," Davis says.
