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GUIDANCE FOR COUGH AND COLD TREATMENTS FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN UNDER 2 YEARS
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency have today released guidance on treating coughs and colds in children under two.
The guidance recommends that children under two should no longer be given certain types of cough and cold preparations.
The new guidance has been developed for a number of reasons mainly:
- Children under two vary dramatically in body size which increases the risk of giving a child too much medicine for their size and age.
- Whilst coughs and colds can be upsetting and unpleasant for both the child and their parents, most coughs and colds are self-limiting conditions. This means that they will get better on their own without treatment.
- Medicines for coughs and colds only treat some symptoms and will not shorten the duration of an illness
The new advice follows studies in the USA which have shown that there is a possible link between certain medicines and severe reactions- the changes are being made as a purely precautionary measure. If you have given your children these medicines in the past there is no need to be concerned.
Your pharmacist can help advise on the best and safest methods of treating a range of conditions in children including coughs and colds.
If you have any worries about any medicine and it’s suitability contact your local Numark pharmacist.
Updated: 27th March 2008
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