Risks of Cold Medicine for Young Kids

New studies raise further concern about the use of cough and cold medicines. They are not recommended for young children, especially those under age 2. In one study, 596 children under 2 were brought to a hospital with a life-threatening emergency. About half were tested for foreign substances in the blood. Of these, about 5% had taken an over-the-counter cold medicine. Another study looked at 21 unexpected baby deaths. Tests found that 10 had been given cold medicines. A third study used survey data for 4,267 U.S. children. It found that about 10% of the children used a cold or cough medicine in a given week. This included 6% to 9% of children under age 2. The studies were published August 4 in the journal Pediatrics.