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Children's Cold Meds Off Market!
Olivia_WebMD_Staff posted:
Some manufactuers of baby/infant oral cough and cold products have voluntary withdrawn their products from store shelves as of today. This decision was made after an FDA review in September 2007 found that these medications could sometimes cause serious side effects and even death in children under 6 years of age, and particularly children under the age of two.
You can read more on the story here -- Infant Cough, Cold Drugs Withdrawn -- at WebMD. In the meantime, here is a prelimary list of the pulled medications, according to the Consumer Health Products Association:
* 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
Do you have any of these products in your medicine cabinet? What are your first thoughts about the action these companies have chosen to take?
36 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Some manufactuers of baby/infant oral cough and cold products have voluntary withdrawn their products from store shelves as of today. This decision was made after an FDA review in September 2007 found that these medications could sometimes cause serious side effects and even death in children under 6 years of age, and particularly children under the age of two.
You can read more on the story here -- <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/136/119916.htm>Infant Cough, Cold Drugs Withdrawn</a> -- at WebMD. In the meantime, here is a prelimary list of the pulled medications, according to the <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.otcsafety.com />Consumer Health Products Association</a>:
* 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
Do you have any of these products in your medicine cabinet? What are your first thoughts about the action these companies have chosen to take?
LizServo37 responded:
Thanks Olivia. We don't have any cold meds, but this is great to know about!!! :)
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Thanks Olivia. We don't have any cold meds, but this is great to know about!!! :)
Olivia_WebMD_Staff responded:
Here is some further information from WebMD's Dr. Michael Smith on our blogs -- blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/2007/10/infant-cough-cold-drugs-withdrawn.html
And the story has also been published HERE.
Take care,
Olivia
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Here is some further information from WebMD's Dr. Michael Smith on our blogs -- <a rel=nofollow href=http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/2007/10/infant-cough-cold-drugs-withdrawn.html>blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/2007/10/infant-cough-cold-drugs-withdrawn.html</a>
And the story has also been published <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/136/119916.htm>HERE</a>.
Take care,
Olivia
healthyhealth responded:
We do have these products in our medicine cabinet and have used them since our child was an infant, with dr.'s permission and instruction. Our child is now 2 and a half, but we plan to have more children. I say all that to say this: we used these products within regulation and they really work. The cold was cut down and those nights that could have been sleepless with coughing were not sleepless, but restful. So we have used the meds, and they work.
On another note, though I don't want any child's life in danger. If parents are not smart enough or capable enough to take care of their children properly and not drug them up to the point of harm, then these products need to be pulled. It is one of those things that the many suffer for the carelessness of a few.
I hate that the children with responsible parents have to suffer, but I understand that the safety of the few children with irresponsible and flippant parents is important and critical to the children's well-being. Children are dependent on their parents to make the right and correct choices for them. If this is the way to make ALL children safer, then so be it.
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!We do have these products in our medicine cabinet and have used them since our child was an infant, with dr.'s permission and instruction. Our child is now 2 and a half, but we plan to have more children. I say all that to say this: we used these products within regulation and they really work. The cold was cut down and those nights that could have been sleepless with coughing were not sleepless, but restful. So we have used the meds, and they work.
On another note, though I don't want any child's life in danger. If parents are not smart enough or capable enough to take care of their children properly and not drug them up to the point of harm, then these products need to be pulled. It is one of those things that the many suffer for the carelessness of a few.
I hate that the children with responsible parents have to suffer, but I understand that the safety of the few children with irresponsible and flippant parents is important and critical to the children's well-being. Children are dependent on their parents to make the right and correct choices for them. If this is the way to make ALL children safer, then so be it.
joyful1218 responded:
So, my children will have to suffer through their colds without medicine because of a few morons who can't read directions? If they are so concerned, why not just keep it behind the counter at the pharmacy and require a consultation with the pharmacist or give out a detailed instruction sheet? It's ridiculous to punish all kids because a few of them have irresponsible parents.
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!So, my children will have to suffer through their colds without medicine because of a few morons who can't read directions? If they are so concerned, why not just keep it behind the counter at the pharmacy and require a consultation with the pharmacist or give out a detailed instruction sheet? It's ridiculous to punish all kids because a few of them have irresponsible parents.
Caprice_WebMD_Staff responded:
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!<a rel=nofollow href=http://blogs.webmd.com/all-ears/2005/12/green-mucous-what-it-is-and-what-its.html>Green Mucous -- What it is and what it's SNOT</a>
fonkgirl responded:
:angry: I am not very happy to hear this. I have 3 children(5,3, and 1) and another on the way, and I have always been very careful when it comes to giving my children any sort of medication, be it prescription or over-the-counter. I believe we are yet again having to have something taken away because there are people out there that just are bright enough to use a little bit of common sense. I have used the infant cold meds with my children, and everything has been fine and dandy. It is typically used when they have one of the most horrible colds and you would like them to get come relief and get some rest. What are we to do now? Is that when you start using the nebulizer everytime you turn around? That is going to be one of the next steps. The only problem is that is only going to work if your child has a deep set chest cold. I also think that this is going to cause people to have more bills as they will in turn be taking their children to the doctor more. (if they are like me, if we are at the point of needing infant cold meds, the baby is quite sick) I do understand that there are people using these inappropriately, but the mass is bring punished for the few. My babies with now have to suffer more due to this. I don't want to see any harm come to any child, but mine will now have to fight even harder.
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!:angry: I am not very happy to hear this. I have 3 children(5,3, and 1) and another on the way, and I have always been very careful when it comes to giving my children any sort of medication, be it prescription or over-the-counter. I believe we are yet again having to have something taken away because there are people out there that just are bright enough to use a little bit of common sense. I have used the infant cold meds with my children, and everything has been fine and dandy. It is typically used when they have one of the most horrible colds and you would like them to get come relief and get some rest. What are we to do now? Is that when you start using the nebulizer everytime you turn around? That is going to be one of the next steps. The only problem is that is only going to work if your child has a deep set chest cold. I also think that this is going to cause people to have more bills as they will in turn be taking their children to the doctor more. (if they are like me, if we are at the point of needing infant cold meds, the baby is quite sick) I do understand that there are people using these inappropriately, but the mass is bring punished for the few. My babies with now have to suffer more due to this. I don't want to see any harm come to any child, but mine will now have to fight even harder.
mommy_to_4boyz responded:
Hi I'm new here but had to make my own rant. I am absolutely disgusted that they are taking those meds off the shelf because some people don't know how to be responsible parents. As a mother of 4 children, I hate that now 2 of my boys will have to suffer through colds etc. I would hate to not be able to take something when my colds etc. are too bad. I think that more people are now going to misuse other medications in the place of these meds causing even more of a problem. I'm sorry that some parents don't know how to read instructions or follow directions but this is just insane. What is next??? Are they going to say that we can no longer take infants in our cars because some parents are irresponsible and not restraining them properly in child seats or not reading the instructions on how to properly install or use an infants seat. How many times do you see a parent driving with a rear-facing infant seat the wrong direction...or with the carry handle up, impairing the seats ability to protect the infant...or with an infant in a front-facing car seat too early!!!! Just because some people are idiots with no common sense does not mean that those of us with brains in our heads should have to make our children suffer!!!
That's my rant/ vent. I hope I didn't offend anyone but this really shook me up!!! :angry:
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Hi I'm new here but had to make my own rant. I am absolutely disgusted that they are taking those meds off the shelf because some people don't know how to be responsible parents. As a mother of 4 children, I hate that now 2 of my boys will have to suffer through colds etc. I would hate to not be able to take something when my colds etc. are too bad. I think that more people are now going to misuse other medications in the place of these meds causing even more of a problem. I'm sorry that some parents don't know how to read instructions or follow directions but this is just insane. What is next??? Are they going to say that we can no longer take infants in our cars because some parents are irresponsible and not restraining them properly in child seats or not reading the instructions on how to properly install or use an infants seat. How many times do you see a parent driving with a rear-facing infant seat the wrong direction...or with the carry handle up, impairing the seats ability to protect the infant...or with an infant in a front-facing car seat too early!!!! Just because some people are idiots with no common sense does not mean that those of us with brains in our heads should have to make our children suffer!!!
That's my rant/ vent. I hope I didn't offend anyone but this really shook me up!!! :angry:
thehummingbirdsnest responded:
Is there a date on the product or anything else, Do I need to toss the meds..My daughter is almost 4 years old, and I am concerned about her
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Is there a date on the product or anything else, Do I need to toss the meds..My daughter is almost 4 years old, and I am concerned about her
williams_mommy responded:
:angry: My son get's frequent colds that turn into ear infections; any idea's about what to use now when he get's sick. I used these medicines before with no problems, I gave him the lowest recommended dose even though he is 19 months and meets the weight requirements. I hope they come up with a solution especially with cold and flu season coming up :eyeroll:
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!:angry: My son get's frequent colds that turn into ear infections; any idea's about what to use now when he get's sick. I used these medicines before with no problems, I gave him the lowest recommended dose even though he is 19 months and meets the weight requirements. I hope they come up with a solution especially with cold and flu season coming up :eyeroll:
Natievtink responded:
If the FDA is pulling these products off the shelves then that is the end of that no matter a parents parenting skills it's bad for the kids so stop blaming irresponsible parents for this, I would give my son all of these medicines but the FDA said that there is a risk of overdose so this will stop end of story. :angry:
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!If the FDA is pulling these products off the shelves then that is the end of that no matter a parents parenting skills it's bad for the kids so stop blaming irresponsible parents for this, I would give my son all of these medicines but the FDA said that there is a risk of overdose so this will stop end of story. :angry:
corac responded:
What an outrage! This argument of potential misuse could be applied to virtually any product available. Won't abusers just choose something different to administer since they are the ones who make the choice not to read and follow the instructions? The number of cases where harm was done is miniscule. Meanwhile, how many young children and their families will be made to suffer? This is an absurd, irresponsible decision on the part of the manufacturers, and I hope they catch hell for it from both the general and medical communities.
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!What an outrage! This argument of potential misuse could be applied to virtually any product available. Won't abusers just choose something different to administer since they are the ones who make the choice not to read and follow the instructions? The number of cases where harm was done is miniscule. Meanwhile, how many young children and their families will be made to suffer? This is an absurd, irresponsible decision on the part of the manufacturers, and I hope they catch hell for it from both the general and medical communities.
Cindy77777 responded:
I do not think this is a good idea. Most parents should be responsible in knowing how to dose an infant. For the most part little to nothing is better. I think this will cause an increase in doctor and emergency room visits just for simple colds. Very interesting. It does not surprise me though based on what I have heard about the government and drug companies!
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!I do not think this is a good idea. Most parents should be responsible in knowing how to dose an infant. For the most part little to nothing is better. I think this will cause an increase in doctor and emergency room visits just for simple colds. Very interesting. It does not surprise me though based on what I have heard about the government and drug companies!
Mommo2four responded:
Hi there,
Actually, according to the WebMD article, the FDA isn't pulling anything at this time. The manufacturers are voluntarily doing so. My guess is that the companies are wary of being sued so they are making a preemptive strike.
Either way, as a Mom of 4 over the last 18 years, my opinion is this: the medications should not be removed because the potential for abuse/misuse is now going to be GREATER. What's likely to happen is that parents, desperate to alleviate their child's illness, will use the formulas still on the self that are intended for older children and "guess" the dosing for their infants.
What we really need is better dosing information. When the text is unclear or so tiny that we can't even read it, inaccurate dosing is more likely to occur. Instead, give parents the information they need to make appropriate decisions about their children's health and necessary medical care. Making parents find the time and money to get to the doctor for their child's every sniffle is not the solution -- too many parents are without health care and can't even afford the doctor's visit, not to mention how much that would bog down the doctors offices and clinics! Instead, allow us the right to be responsible and make informed choices about using safe, effective medications!
Anybody else agree?
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!Hi there,
Actually, according to the WebMD article, the FDA isn't pulling anything at this time. The manufacturers are voluntarily doing so. My guess is that the companies are wary of being sued so they are making a preemptive strike.
Either way, as a Mom of 4 over the last 18 years, my opinion is this: the medications should not be removed because the potential for abuse/misuse is now going to be GREATER. What's likely to happen is that parents, desperate to alleviate their child's illness, will use the formulas still on the self that are intended for older children and "guess" the dosing for their infants.
What we really need is better dosing information. When the text is unclear or so tiny that we can't even read it, inaccurate dosing is more likely to occur. Instead, give parents the information they need to make appropriate decisions about their children's health and necessary medical care. Making parents find the time and money to get to the doctor for their child's every sniffle is not the solution -- too many parents are without health care and can't even afford the doctor's visit, not to mention how much that would bog down the doctors offices and clinics! Instead, allow us the right to be responsible and make informed choices about using safe, effective medications!
Anybody else agree?
sharon_d95 responded:
I don't think everyone should suffer because some parents don't know how to read directions and ask their doctors about medicine dosages. I use the Tylenol products for my 19 month old son and they work great. I'm smart enough to ask his doctor when he's old enough to safely take these meds and I keep in touch with her so she knows what's going on with my son. I also got a dosage chart from her, too, so I KNOW how much to give my son. I don't know how we would have got through my son's teething and colds without these products, and I'm going to miss them for my next child.
Report This| Share this:Children's Cold Meds Off Market!I don't think everyone should suffer because some parents don't know how to read directions and ask their doctors about medicine dosages. I use the Tylenol products for my 19 month old son and they work great. I'm smart enough to ask his doctor when he's old enough to safely take these meds and I keep in touch with her so she knows what's going on with my son. I also got a dosage chart from her, too, so I KNOW how much to give my son. I don't know how we would have got through my son's teething and colds without these products, and I'm going to miss them for my next child.
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