Issue date: 3/20/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Rachel Bujalski / Daily Vidette Staff

Even though common cough syrups such as Robitussin and Benadryl can be useful, they can also be harmful to young children.

According to a study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention from 2004 and 2005, over 1,519 children under the age of two had serious health problems after taking cough and cold medicines. Three of these cases were fatalities.

"These cough medicines have been proven to be harmful for children five years old and below," Patrick Moraleda, pharmacy supervisor in Student Health Services, said. Bree Davis, public health communications specialist for the McLean County Health Department, said it is not exactly known what ingredient in these medicines cause harm, but it was speculated as one ingredient.

"The three that died had high levels of pseudoephedrine, which is in Sudafed, a cough suppressant," Davis said. In a report by the Therapeutic Research Center, it talked about the problems with pseudoephedrine.

"Sympathomimetics such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can cause central nervous system stimulation, hypertension and tachycardia," the report said.

It also talked about the dangers of antihistamines and dextromethorphan, all of which are contained in cough and cold medicines. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant known to cause lethargy, stupor, hypertension and excitability. Moraleda said all these symptoms could be heightened if an infant takes medications containing these things.

Still, the problem could be in the dosage given to the children.

"The FDA [Food and Drug Administration] does not have recommended dosing for children under the age of two," Davis said.

Moraleda added some insight on how medicine works and what should be taken into consideration with these drugs, along with others.

"Medicine is based on risks and benefits," he added. "If the risk is greater than the benefit, they should not be taken."

He said there are other non-drug measures that can be taken before resorting to medication with an infant. There can be an increase in food intake, sitting him or her by a humidifier or saline nose drops.

Davis added parents should consult a physician before considering giving infants cough or cold medications. "The effectiveness of these medications on children under two is not known," she said.

Finally, according to Moraleda, problems such as coughs or cold may not just go away by taking over-the-counter medications.

These drugs should not be continued to be used if the problem persists. "If it is over-the-counter, you can get it for a long time, which you shouldn't do," he said.

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