Warning on Cough Meds for Under-2s

Cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 2 without appropriate advice from a doctor or pharmacist, the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has said. It states that, whilst the UK has a range of cough and cold medicines on open sale for under-2s, this has never been the practice in Ireland.

The IMB is advising parents with children who have symptoms of a cough or cold and an associated temperature, to treat the child with the appropriate amount of paracetamol or ibuprofen. These products can improve the child’s symptoms and can be used in conjunction with cough syrups such as glycerol, honey or lemon as opposed to syrups containing active ingredients.

“Our advice for parents or child minders is to seek the advice of a pharmacist or doctor before giving any medication to a child under two years of age. Before any medicine is administered to a child, parents should read the patient information leaflet carefully and strictly administer the correct dosage as dictated. Special attention should be given to reading the label and ensuring that parents do not exceed the maximum dosage level and frequency,” says Dr Joan Gilvarry, Director of Human Medicines, IMB.

The IMB states that most symptoms of a cough or cold should pass within a number of days and, whilst they may be uncomfortable for a child, they should improve within 2-3 days. If symptoms persist beyond this, medical advice should be sought.

The use of cough and cold medicines in older children is currently under review at a European level and IMB is participating in this review.

The IMB suggests that any parent or child minder who has concerns should contact their doctor or pharmacist.

Posted Monday 7th April 2008