Are kids cold medicines safe? - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Are kids cold medicines safe?

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By Karen Cohilas - bio | email

October 3, 2008

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - The F.D.A. is considering yanking over the counter cold medicines for children under six. An Albany doctor says he's not sure all those medicines need to be taken off the shelves.

Pediatrician Bruce Smith has heard claims that children have died from taking cold medicines, but he's never seen a case like that. He says some medicines can be helpful to a child who is having trouble sleeping and breathing because of a stopped up nose.

Smith says parents should only give the recommended dose. If they don't know what that is, They should call the doctor.  Dr. Smith said, "I'm not quite as enthusiastic about removing them entirely from the market place because if a cold medicine helps a child sleep at night because their nose is really congested, I think that's a good thing."

Dr. Smith says the most common problem he's seen with cold medicines is over stimulation. He says if that happens, or the medicine doesn't help, parents should stop giving it to their children.

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