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Medications

Children's Medicine

Parents need to take extra care when giving their children medication. Most medications for children are smaller doses of adult medications, but these medications are never tested on children. This means we don't always know how a child, especially babies, will react to medications. In the last few years, several popular classes of medications have been found to cause problems in children but not in adults.

OTC Cold Medications

In October, 2007, an expert advisory committee to the FDA voted 21 to 1 to ban over-the-counter cold medicines sold for use in children under the age of 2. The same committee also voted 13 to 9 to ban these medicines for use in children of ages 2 to 5, but voted to allow these medicines for use in children 6 and older.

The FDA acted after an internal review of records between 1969 and September 2006 found 54 reports of deaths in children associated with decongestant medicines containing pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine or ephedrine. There were 69 reports of deaths associated with antihistamines that contain diphenhydramine, Brompheniramine or chlorpheniramine. Most of the deaths were in children under two years old.

The recall includes the following medications:

  • Dimetapp Decongestant Plus Cough Infant Drops
  • Dimetapp Decongestant Infant Drops
  • Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough
  • Little Colds Multi-Symptom Cold Formula
  • Pediacare Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine)
  • Pediacare Infant Drops Decongestant & Cough (containing pseudoephedrine)
  • Pediacare Infant Dropper Decongestant (containing phenylephrine)
  • Pediacare Infant Dropper Long-Acting Cough
  • Pediacare Infant Dropper Decongestant & Cough (containing phenylephrine)
  • Robitussin Infant Cough DM Drops
  • Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant
  • Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant Plus Cough
  • Tylenol Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold
  • Tylenol Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold & Cough

Aspirin

Never give your child aspirin or any medication containing aspirin. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye's syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal illness. Don't assume that the children's medicines found in drugstores will be aspirin-free. Aspirin is sometimes referred to as "salicylate" or "acetylsalicylic acid." Read labels carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're not sure whether a product contains aspirin.

Ibuprofen - Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome or SJS is a serious skin condition that is often the result of a bad reaction to a medication. SJS most often affects children and the symptoms can severe blistering, serious burns, scarring, extreme pain and can be potential fatal. Medications containing Ibuprofen like Advil and children's Motrin are most frequently associated with SJS. Children with SJS are treated in burn units of hospitals due to the severity of the condition.

Anti-nausea medications

Don't give your child an anti-nausea medication (prescription or OTC) unless his doctor specifically recommends it. Most bouts of vomiting are pretty short-lived, and children usually handle them just fine without any medication. In addition, anti-nausea medications have risks and possible complications. (If your child is vomiting and begins to get dehydrated, contact his doctor for advice on what to do.

Anti-Depressants

The popular antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs have also been linked to suicidal side effects specifically in children. In 2004, an FDA panel voted 18 to 5 to require manufacturers of these antidepressants to add black box warnings to their product labeling. A month later, the FDA adopted the panel's recommendations. The warning reads in part:

"Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of [Drug Name] or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior."

Chewables

Most preschoolers can handle chewable tablets, especially those that are fast-melting. But keep an eye on your child when you give him a chewable, especially if he isn't proficiently chewing solids yet. If you think chewables might be a choking hazard for your child, crush the tablet and put it in a spoonful of soft food, like yogurt or applesauce. (Of course, you need to make sure your child eats the entire spoonful in order to get the complete dose.)

Legal Help for Victims of Drug Side Effects

If your child has suffered from a medication side effect, you may have legal rights. The legal professionals at Mark & Associates, P.C. have successfully represented hundreds of individuals and families who have been injured by prescription and over-the-counter medications. If you are interested in having Mark & Associates, P.C. evaluate your case for absolutely free, please submit the case inquiry form on this page or call 1-866-50-RIGHTS (1-866-507-4448).