Six baby cough medicines pulled

 

About 100 baby cough remedies are set to be relabelled

Cough remedies aimed at very young children are to be removed from shelves amid fears of accidental overdose.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has ordered six products be permanently removed from sale for children aged under two.

 

They are Asda Children's Chesty Cough Syrup, Calcough Chesty and Boots Chesty Cough Syrup - one year plus.

 

Also, Children's Chesty Cough and Boots sore throat and cough linctus one year plus and Buttercup infant cough syrup.

 

There's nothing wrong with these medicines, it was the way that they had been given

 

MHRA spokeswoman Sara Coakley said: "It's a precautionary measure. They are not dangerous."

 

She went on: "If they had been dangerous, we'd have had them off the market in seconds. Nobody should panic.

 

"There's nothing wrong with these medicines, it was the way that they had been given."

 

Overdose risk

 

 

 

The medicines are to be removed from open shelves, and will not be sold by pharmacists for children under two.

 

There have been five deaths in children under two since 1981 where cough and cold medicines may have been a factor, according to the MHRA

 

new.bbc.co.uk

 

So these medicines are being withdrawn because they are harmul if too high a dosage is given.

The dosage is clearly labelled on each bottle.

 

Now whilst I am all for the care of small children is this not a bit insulting ...... and the thin end of a scary wedge?

 

There are a LOT of things dangerous to small children if given in high doses - Calpol - paracetamol - salt - all these things can kill.

And they are recommending giving honey - which you are NOT supposed to give to children under one anyway!

 

Do we really need protecting from ourselves?

 

Are we really so stupid that we can't read dose instructions?

 

And whilst any child's death is tragic 5 in 27 years that might be associated with these cough mixtures doesn't seem high.

 

 

That said - when I had my first baby in 1990 no medicines were recommended or even available for small children over the counter other than good old Calpol.

Edited March 27, 200817 yr by ICR

omg how silly how can you over dose on that sort of $h!t just read the label and keep it out of the way of kids simple!

it seems rather ott.... if theres no evidence that kiddies are being harmed then it smacks of panic.