The makers of 14 leading over-the-counter cold
medications are voluntarily withdrawing products sold for infants following a
startling advisory by US monitoring officials that they can cause death.
In a panel meeting Friday, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers decided that children under the age of six should not be using cold and cough medicines because they have not been proven to be effective or safe.
The over-the-counter, oral cough and cold medicines for infants have seen rare patterns of misuse leading to overdose.
After reviewing reports of side effects over the last four decades, the FDA found 54 child fatalities from over-the-counter decongestant medicines.
The agency found 69 reports of children's deaths connected with antihistamines, which are used to treat runny noses.
The list of withdrawn medicines include popular brands used widely in Jamaica.
These are: Dimetapp, Little Colds, Pediacare, Robitussin, Triaminic and Tylenol.
However local Paediatrician Dr. Kirk Thame gave his take on the withdrawal noting that he has not seen the level of health risk associated with the drugs here in Jamaica.
"Well I think that more education is a good thing but I don't think that just because something happened in another country we are going to jump and follow suit. We have to evaluate our own situation and see if we have seen cases of overdosing causing fatalities or problems. Personally I haven't really seen that but I am one practitioner," said Dr. Thame.
Last month federal officials recommended that the "consult your physician" advice to parents on the labels of cold and cough medicines aimed at young children be dropped and a warning not to use medications in children under two be added.
The over-the-counter cold medicines can cause side effects such as sedation, irritability, allergy and heart abnormalities.
Instead of the drugs, parents of sick infants can use vaporizers or hydrators, saline nose drops, rubber nose bulbs, chicken soup and other fluids to keep their infants hydrated.
In a panel meeting Friday, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers decided that children under the age of six should not be using cold and cough medicines because they have not been proven to be effective or safe.
The over-the-counter, oral cough and cold medicines for infants have seen rare patterns of misuse leading to overdose.
After reviewing reports of side effects over the last four decades, the FDA found 54 child fatalities from over-the-counter decongestant medicines.
The agency found 69 reports of children's deaths connected with antihistamines, which are used to treat runny noses.
The list of withdrawn medicines include popular brands used widely in Jamaica.
These are: Dimetapp, Little Colds, Pediacare, Robitussin, Triaminic and Tylenol.
However local Paediatrician Dr. Kirk Thame gave his take on the withdrawal noting that he has not seen the level of health risk associated with the drugs here in Jamaica.
"Well I think that more education is a good thing but I don't think that just because something happened in another country we are going to jump and follow suit. We have to evaluate our own situation and see if we have seen cases of overdosing causing fatalities or problems. Personally I haven't really seen that but I am one practitioner," said Dr. Thame.
Last month federal officials recommended that the "consult your physician" advice to parents on the labels of cold and cough medicines aimed at young children be dropped and a warning not to use medications in children under two be added.
The over-the-counter cold medicines can cause side effects such as sedation, irritability, allergy and heart abnormalities.
Instead of the drugs, parents of sick infants can use vaporizers or hydrators, saline nose drops, rubber nose bulbs, chicken soup and other fluids to keep their infants hydrated.
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