Just an FYI for mothers of kids/babies ages 2 and under?

Question

The center for disease control says no cough syrup at all for kids/babies ages 2 and under because of an ongoing investigation of deaths occuring from it.....

Answer 1

Thanks for the information!!

Answer 2

Wow-thanks for the info-thats really scary.I have a 20 month old son and another baby due in 5 weeks.My son has only been on cough syrup 1 time but I will not let him go on it again until at least 2-and especially not the new baby.

Answer 3

this is the only story that i found on the CDC : Contaminated cough syrup kills 22 in panama

The latest fatality in a Panamanian woman who died this weekend of kidney failure, takes the death toll from drinking the tainted product to 22.

According to the Panamanian Health Department another 49 people have been treated for kidney and central nervous system damage after drinking the medicine and 23 of them are still in hospital.

It was the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who finally resolved the mystery when they traced the cause to an industrial chemical in a red, sugarless cough syrup made by a government-run pharmaceutical factory.

The CDC were called in by Panamanian authorities after victims suffered mysterious kidney failure, paralysis and sagging of the facial muscles and victims also experienced symptoms including nausea and diarrhea.

Most of those affected were patients over 60 with a history of diabetes or high blood pressure and initially the medication they were taking for such conditions came under suspicion.

Many of the patients were taking lisinopril, a blood pressure medication, but last weekend an FDA lab ruled that out as the cause.

Panamanian health officials are concerned that others could have unwittingly have been affected and have urged anyone who has taken cough syrup in recent months to seek medical attention.

Investigations are now underway as to how the medicine became contaminated and the government has ordered the syrup and a number of other cold remedies to be removed from store shelves; it has closed the factory which manufactured the cough medicine.

Dr. Scott Dowell, who leads the Global Disease Protection program at the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the mystery illness had everybody stumped.

The CDC investigators found diethylene glycol, a chemical cousin of antifreeze, in four white plastic cough syrup bottles flown in from Panama City.


Diethylene glycol is used to keep products such as glue and cosmetics moist and was discovered to be dangerous in 1937, when at least 105 people died after taking a DEG-containing antibacterial medicine.

The incident resulted in the Food and Drug Administration being awarded the power to certify the safety of drugs before they are sold to the public.

Panamanian officials have an antidote for the chemical which they say will be given to the affected patients.

The CDC now has 200 full-time employees in 45 countries and is able to respond quickly to unusual outbreaks of illness around the world.

It established response centers in Thailand in 2001 and in Kenya in 2004 and this year three more, in China, Egypt and Guatemala.

Four investigators from the Guatemala center traveled to Panama to assist in the CDC investigation.

Answer 4

I just saw that on the news
but I gave my son children's cough syrup and he survived. He is 7 now
they are always coming up with something we cant do

Answer 5

To be honest i've got constantly thought it ultimate for infants to be raised in a competent kin and for human beings to attend till they are financially in a position to furnish for a new child and are in a competent, mature relationship (ideally marriage, yet i understand no longer all and sundry will agree there). in case you have that then i've got faith age is purely a variety. Do i've got faith it is ultimate to be an grownup and end "turning out to be up" in a manner and stay purely a sprint till now you have young infants? particular. i think of that's suitable, yet once you have a sprint one once you're youthful and you're taking good care of the new child, then in my e book you're a competent ascertain. i replaced into 20 once I have been given married and 21 once I had my first new child. i replaced into 23 once I had my final new child and my husband and that i've got owned a house for 2 years now (till now we lived on submit on a protection stress base). i've got been there with the stares and comments. yet i understand i'm in a competent marriage, we've the money to furnish for our infants, and we've a house it relatively is loving. Now i'm 24 years previous with 2 young infants married for almost 5 years. we are residing in our very own residence. i might say we are a fulfillment.

Answer 6

the3y are referring to over the counter cough syrups containing alcohol and other sedatives. (which say ON THE LABLE that they are not for small children)

Answer 7

well isn't that odd, although i only give my son orajel and both of my kids the infants tylenol drops. i would have the pediatrician recommend something for my child if my child was sick, and follow the peds instructions, don't give the overdoses. people are crazy

Answer 8

I literally just happened to see this article right after reading this post. I wasn't looking for it.

Dosing mistakes killed three, sent 1,500 to ER, CDC report finds.
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter

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THURSDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Over-the-counter cough and cold medications can be harmful -- even deadly -- to very young children, U.S. government research shows.

In 2005, three infants under the age of 6 months died from taking such medications. And, from 2004 to 2005, more than 1,500 children under the age of 2 were treated in emergency rooms for problems related to taking such medications, according to a report released Thursday.

"Cough and cold medicines can be harmful, and even fatal, and should be used with caution in children under 2 years of age," said study author Dr. Adam Cohen, an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "They are drugs, so they have risks as well as benefits."

The study appears in the Jan. 12 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the CDC.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only approved the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children over the age of 2. In children younger than 2, studies have concluded that such medications are no more effective than a placebo. As a result, appropriate dosing is not known.

"Cold and cough medications, especially medications containing pseudoephedrine [a nasal decongestant], have never been shown to have any beneficial effect on children less than 2 years of age, yet they clearly can have significant harmful effects," said Dr. Michael Marcus, director of pediatric pulmonology, allergy and immunology at the Maimonides Infants & Children's Hospital in New York City.

Various professional groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Chest Physicians, have issued guidelines recommending caution when using these medications in young children.

In June 2006, the FDA took action to stop the manufacture of medications containing carbinoxamine (an antihistamine) which were inappropriately labeled for use in infants and young children. Manufacturers were required to stop production by Sept. 6, 2006, but some products might still be in distribution.

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2006, passed last March, banned over-the-counter (though not behind-the-counter) sales of products containing pseudoephedrine. As a result, many companies have taken this ingredient out of their products.

But products which might be harmful to young children are still available, so officials at the CDC and the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) investigated deaths of children under the age of 1 that were associated with cough and cold medicines.

The three infants who died ranged in age from 1 to 6 months; two were male and all three were found dead in their homes.

Autopsy and medication investigation records revealed that cough and cold medications were responsible for all three deaths. All three babies had high levels of pseudoephedrine, ranging from nine to 14 times the levels expected from recommended doses for children aged 2 to 12. One of the infants had received both a prescription and an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine at the same time, both of which contained pseudoephedrine.

Two of the children had taken prescription medications containing carbinoxamine, although there were no detectable blood levels of the substance. Two of the infants had detectable blood levels of dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and acetaminophen (a fever-reducer and analgesic).

"Parents should absolutely avoid these medications unless they are being supervised by a physician," Marcus said. "Parents should realize that non-prescription medications may contain similar products to medications that the pediatrician is also prescribing, therefore, they should let the pediatrician know all treatments the child is receiving when discussing a child's treatment."

"Parents should never give medicine without consulting a health-care provider, even over-the-counter," Cohen added. "Many over-the-counter medicines may be marketed for infants, and there are no approved dosing recommendations from the FDA for this age group. There's very little evidence that they help in children under 2."

More information

For more about colds and cold medications in young children, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Answer 9

My 2 yr old's pediatrician said that is ok to give him Motrin and tylenol

Answer 10

found this article on cough syrup if anyone's interested in the specifics... http://www.localnewswatch.com/benton/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=15094

let us know if there is something beyond this that's more recent and where you heard it.

Answer 11

Thank you for the tip I never heard any of this info either and its good to know with a 3 month old...Now I can question my ped on this issue if needed... thanks