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Source: ONE News -
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Medicines regulator Medsafe is to review guidelines around cough and cold medicines following reports some over-the-counter remedies have harmed or killed British children.
British authorities have launched an investigation into 69 different medicines that have been linked to dozens of deaths and thousands of "adverse reactions". Click here to see the list of UK cough and cold products affected by new MHRA advice .
The British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency on Sunday announced dozens of over-the-counter medicines would be labelled with warnings stating they must not be given to children under six and were not recommended for children under 12.
Medsafe group manager Stewart Jessamine says Medsafe currently advised parents not to give cough and cold medicines to children under two, but those guidelines would be reviewed.
Warning labels with the current guidelines will begin to appear on cough and cold products in New Zealand this month, he says.
"Medsafe says its current advice stands, but it will be seeking reports on which the latest decisions were made and reviewing them to see if a similar approach is warranted here," he says.
There have been "very few" reports of adverse reactions from such medicines in New Zealand but the National Poisons Centre had received a number of calls about overdoses in children under two, he says.
Children over that should only be given cough and cold remedies if strictly necessary, he says.
"There is no cure for the common cold. Children will usually recover from coughs and colds in time on their own."
Paediatrician Innes Asher said research showed the medicines were "no better than just having a bit of sugary water".
"I think it's fair to say that paediatricians are uneasy about the widespread use of these medications and very rarely prescribe them."
"There's a body of evidence now to show that the medications on the whole are ineffective and given that they also may have side effects I think there's certainly a very strong case for reviewing how we make these available for young children," she says.
Prof Asher says she recommended parents take the "supportive approach" with frequent fluids including warm lemon and honey drinks.
Cough and cold medicines were not effective and a waste of money, she says.
"We'll certainly be expecting them (Medsafe) to actively review this and the approach to take."
The British warnings covered a wide range of ingredients including: the nasal decongestants pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, oxymetazoline and xylometazoline; the antihistamines diphenhydramine, chlorphenamine, bromopheniramine, promethazine, triprolidine and doxylamine; the cough suppressants dextromethorphan and pholcodine and the expectorants guaifenesin and ipecacuanha.
