Young Children and Cough and Cold Medicines
GUPTA: We're back with HOUSE CALL. Kids under 6 and cold medicine. This week, we found out that could be a deadly combination. It was a hot topic on CNN.com. And it's the topic viewers voted to see this week on HOUSE CALL. Thanks to all those who voted. We turn now to Elizabeth Cohen with more.</s>COHEN (voice-over): When Dimitria Alvarez's baby got a cold, she did what any good parent would do. She took him to the doctor.</s>DIMITRIA ALVAREZ, MOTHER: He just started coughing. And it was just in his chest. He had a little bit of a fever. And so I took him to the doctor. And the doctor told me to give him the medicine.</s>COHEN: The medicine was an over-the-counter cough syrup. What happened to Devin Melburg Alvarez when his mother gave it to him shook his family forever.</s>JOSHUA SHARFSTEIN, DR., BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: You're talking about millions of dollars spent convincing parents to buy these drugs, that they need these drugs, when in fact, they're not safe or effective.</s>COHEN: Dr. Joshua Sharfstein says the cough and cold medicines we see on drugstore shelves are dangerous for children under the age of 6. The irony, he says, is these drugs don't even work for kids under 6.</s>SHARFSTEIN: I don't think these products have any role in helping little kids get over colds.</s>COHEN: The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents manufacturers of these drugs, says, "They're safe and effective when used as directed, and most parents are using them appropriately." Dimitria Alvarez said she did exactly what her pediatrician recommended. She gave her son an over-the-counter cough medicine, put him down to sleep. And seven hours later, she found him dead.</s>ALVAREZ: He was just -- just beautiful. And I just -- I miss him so much. And I loved him so much.</s>COHEN: On Devin's death certificate, Dextromethorphan intoxication. Dextromethorphan is a key ingredient in cough medicines, like the one his mother gave him before he died. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, reporting.</s>GUPTA: Wow, what a sad story there. And on Friday, an FDA advisory panel recommended parents and caregivers not give over-the- counter cough and cold medications to any children under the age of 6. This decision comes a week after many drug manufacturers voluntarily withdrew more than a dozen of these products for infants and babies under the age of 2. The FDA advisory panel also voted to standardize dosing on product labels, as well as on such devices as cups, spoons, or syringes, which sometimes come with the medications. Now parents with children under 6 should consult with their pediatrician if their child gets sick, as always. And if you plan to give these medications to older children, remember, to make sure only to give the child the prescribed dose, even if the medication doesn't appear to be working. Don't keep giving it. Use the measuring dispenser provided with the medication. If there isn't one, ask your pharmacy for one. And never use adult-sized teaspoons or tablespoons to give that medication. There's much more to come on HOUSE CALL. Here's a question: could plastic water bottles be bad for your health? Curious about that? I'm going to have the answer in our "Ask the Doctor" segment. And going organic and getting thing, how eating naturally grown foods could help you lose weight right now. Stay tuned.