Cough syrup safety concerns

It’s two o’clock in the morning, and your toddler is awake and coughing. What can you do to relieve the cough? First, ask yourself what kind of cough it is. Does the child have a cold and a stuffy head? If not, could the cough be caused by environmental factors such as dust or dry air? Could it be a post-nasal drip caused by allergies? Or could it be that irritation of the child’s cough center is triggering repetitive coughing that could lead to croup? Parenthood brings with it the expectation that we know a lot more than we do about child care. We make decisions every day about how to raise our children and what is best for them, but all we have to guide us is common sense. One of those decisions is when to use cough medicine to relieve your child’s cough and, more importantly, what kind of cough medicine will be safe to give.

Pharmacies sell every conceivable kind of cough medicine. One might be for colds, one for allergies, one for colds and allergies, another for inducing sleep by blocking the cough. These cough medicines are packaged for babies, toddlers, children, and adults in various brands with various ingredients such as dextromethorphan (suppressant), or dephenhydramine (suppressant and antihistamine. Finding the right cough syrup has become a time-consuming chore. Is it safe to give your child cough syrup and what are the hazards? According to Consumer Reports a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University indicated that cough medicines help adults, but are relatively ineffective for children. In addition, dextromethorphan might cause allergic reactions and dephenhydramine may induce restlessness and anxiety rather than having a calming effect. We certainly want to make our children as comfortable as possible when they are ill, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of OTC medications and how they affect your own child.

This common illness usually creates a productive cough, and as long as the child is not having breathing difficulties, the cough will help bring up irritants from their lungs. To relieve the symptoms and suppress the cough, a cough syrup with both a suppressant and an expectorant, such as Robitussin DM, can be given to toddlers over 6 months. Some doctors recommend not using it until the child is at least a year old. A quarter of a teaspoon every 6-8 hours should be sufficient. For children under 6 months, it is best not to use over-the-counter remedies. Try a humidifier or suction the baby’s nose to clear out mucous. For croup, take your baby into the bathroom, close the door, and run hot water into the tub or sink. The steam will quickly relieve this type of breathing difficulty. Warm liquids such as apple juice will calm the cough center.

Viral Infection

This could follow a cold or it could be picked up from family members. With this type of illness, coughing is dry and nonproductive. In this case, a cough suppressant can be used sparingly for toddlers just to allow the child to fall asleep and get much needed rest. Dimetapp offers infant drops for relief of coughing. It is best, however, to check with your pediatrician before giving any medication to a baby under 6 months.

In addition to Robitussin and Dimetapp, other common brands include Triaminic, Benadryl, and PediaCare. These are all over-the-counter medications that, as noted above, could possibly have an adverse affect on your child. Certainly, an overdose can be extremely dangerous and can cause permanent damage. It is therefore important to avoid encouraging a child to take cough syrup because it “tastes good.” Obviously, if the toddler has the opportunity to explore the bottle because it isn’t put in a safe place, once the cap is off, children will not hesitate to drink it. Also, don’t count on childproof caps. Adults have trouble with them. Children do not.

Adults often use a honey mixture in a hot tea to relieve persistent coughing. Honey, however, is definitely not recommended for children under one year of age, especially when heated. The clostridium botulinum contained in honey is the cause of infant botulism, and honey is the only identified food source that contains these spores. The most common symptom of infant botulism is constipation. Weakness, irritability, lack of facial expression and loss of head control are further symptoms. Fatal cases, however, are rare. In the United States approximately 70 to 90 cases of infant botulism are reported every year. Since honey is not an essential food for infant nutrition, the safest course is never to give it to a child under a year old.

Keep in mind the various factors to consider when your child is not feeling well. Look for fever, wheezing, coughing up blood, or symptoms of asthma, in which case it is best to call your doctor. If the cough, however, seems to be a lingering irritant, giving cough medicine can’t hurt and might be just effective enough to allow everyone in the family to get a good night’s sleep.