Cold Medication and Kids

It is estimated that over 7,000 children are admitted to the emergency room each year due to overdose or adverse reactions to over-the-counter cold medication according to the CDC. According to this Reuters article two thirds of the cases involved children that took the medication without supervision.

Strangely, the article describes that these medications have not been proven to benefit young children:

Evidence suggests parents want to give these drugs, including cough suppressants, antihistamines and decongestants, to their children, even though they have never been shown to benefit young children.

The fear is that even if these medication are taken off the market, that parents may try to substitute adult medications in their place according to the CDC. The issue, then, is with the packaging. The article goes on to say:

Companies that make the drugs might consider changes to packaging to keep small children from getting into the medications, which are often flavored and colored to make them more appealing, Schaefer’s team said.

Another measure is that parents should not encourage their children to take the medication by describing it as tasting like candy. This may lead to children taking the medication unsupervised. And, obviously, you should keep all of your medication out of the reach of children.