Children's' Cough and Cold Medicines Recalled

Over the span of little more than 37 years, 54 deaths have been reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration that resulted from overdose on decongestants. Another 69 deaths were also reported in that time frame from overdose with antihistamines. Most of these deaths that were reviewed were found to be common in children under the age of 2. Now, makers of infants' over the counter cough and cold medications are recalling certain products, mostly due to the lack of strict warnings on the packaging on how to administer properly.

Although most over the counter medications for children do come with a dosage chart requesting the user to seek the advice of a medical professional before administering the product to children under the age of 2, the warnings do occasionally go unheeded. With 123 deaths being reported from misuse that leads to overdosing, the numbers themselves may look drastically low compared to other factors that are known to cause death in children. But is this a reason for companies not to show concern for the neglect of better worded warnings on their labels? From the flood of recent recalls, all signs point to no.

The Food and Drug Administration hasn't made a final decision as of yet as to whether packaging should come with new instructions recommending that the product not be given to very young children, although it will possibly be implementing a decision mid-October after a panel of outside advisers discusses the issue.