by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I don’t know about you, but when I go to the cough-and-cold section of the pharmacy, I feel a little overwhelmed.  I think I know what I want but then see the same brand with just a little different type or amount of ingredients.  Which is better for your symptoms? (Make no mistake, the over-the-counter meds treat symptoms, not the underlying problem.  Many times that’s all you need, just to feel a little better until your body agrees.)

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

An article in the August 2008 journal Pedatrics investigated unexpected infant deaths in Arizona over a span of 1 year (2006) The common factor in 10 out of 21 autopsied babies (all under age 1) was that each had over-the-counter cough and cold medications in their system. Although this could not be confirmed as the cause of death, it is suspicious and just another reminder that children, of a certain age, should not be given these medications, ever. The article states that 123 deaths of children under 6 have been reported to the FDA in all.

Actually the FDA has already issued a warning against giving these meds to children under 2. The FDA’s Drug and Pediatric Advisory Committe says no one under 6. So what should do when your child is under 6 with a bad cough?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

If we are not supposed to give cold medicines to kids anymore, then what is a parent to do?

Is honey the answer? With good timing a study came out in the December 2007 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showing that buckwheat honey is more effective than dextromethorphan (dm) in cough in children 2 and over. (more…)