Attention parents! This cold medicine is not allowed under the age of 18
Cold medicine is very harmful to children, even fatal? Recently, an overseas report about cold medicine has attracted people's attention. Many people can't help but have doubts. Can cold medicine be taken? In this regard, the principle of medication given by experts is: after a child has a cold, parents should not take medication at will, and should see a doctor in time;
This cold medicine is prohibited under the age of 18! There might be one in your home!
On September 6, the State Drug Administration issued an announcement prohibiting the use of cold medicines containing codeine by teenagers under the age of 18.
The announcement requires that the instructions of cold medicines containing codeine be revised: the relevant content in "contraindications" and "medication for children" is revised to "this product is prohibited for children under the age of 18".
Previously, the State Food and Drug Administration had clearly stipulated that cold medicines containing codeine were prohibited for children under the age of 12. This revision raised the age limit to 18. If long-term abuse can become addictive, it may also inhibit breathing
Dr. Mou, an attending physician in the Respiratory Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of a University School of Medicine, told reporters that codeine is an antitussive ingredient that acts on the central nervous system. Compared with other antitussive ingredients, it has better clinical efficacy, so it is often used for unknown Causes of intractable cough, cough caused by lung cancer. However, long-term abuse of codeine-containing drugs can cause dependence and addiction, and some adults even purchase cough medicines in large quantities, which will have a greater impact on children and adolescents. It is necessary to increase the age and avoid abuse and addiction among young people." She listed some common cough medicines containing codeine-like ingredients: dihydrocodeine tablets, compound codeine solution, codeine platycodon Tablets, compound licorice mixture, strong loquat dew, etc.
The deputy chief physician of the Children's Hospital Affiliated to a university medical school said that children are rarely given cough medicines containing codeine in clinical pediatrics. And in many cases, children do not need medicine for coughing. Coughing, like many physiological reflexes such as fever and sneezing, is a protective action of the body.
Doctors suggest that infants under 2 years old should not use any central cough and antitussive drugs. If you are worried about your baby's discomfort, you can use physical methods such as tapping on the back, sucking sputum, and atomization to relieve it. For children over 2 years old, if the cough lasts too long and seriously affects their life, such as being unable to sleep or eat, they can use some expectorants that dilute and dissolve mucus to help the discharge of sputum. Some ingredients also need to be vigilant, as excess can cause liver failure.
The following is the content of "acetaminophen" in common cold medicines:
Previously, on April 11, 2000, the former State Food and Drug Administration issued a document pointing out that codeine is listed in Table II of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs in 1961 as one of the 10 less addictive narcotic drugs. one.
Cases of side effects of cold medicine on infants and young children
Case: Mr. Zhang's son Cheng Cheng is one and a half years old. When it comes to colds, Mr. Zhang said that he usually goes to the pharmacy to buy cold medicine for his son. Because he thinks that cold and fever are common diseases in children, if he is taken to the hospital every time, it will not only take time and effort, but also may lead to cross-infection. Like Mr. Zhang, when a child catches a cold and has a fever, many parents will go to the pharmacy to buy medicine by themselves. Some parents find that their children have a stuffy nose, so they use adult ephedrine to give their children nose drops; some parents buy their own Chinese medicine preparations for their children, and improper use can easily lead to allergies or liver damage.
It is understood that most cold medicines are currently "over-the-counter medicines", and consumers can buy them directly in pharmacies without showing a doctor's prescription. According to experts, the 15 cold medicine ingredients that are likely to cause side effects listed by the British drug safety agency are the main ingredients of almost all western medicine cold medicines in the world, and Chinese cold medicine products are no exception. They all contain these 15 kinds one or more of the ingredients. At present, there are so-called cold medicines for children on the market. Experts say that these children’s cold medicines are different from adult cold medicines in dosage and formula, and their active ingredients are mainly one or more of these 15 ingredients. kind.
Some of these components expand blood vessels to relieve nasal congestion and other symptoms, while others inhibit the central nervous system and play an antitussive effect. Experts pointed out that these ingredients will cause different degrees of adverse reactions in children. Among cold medicines, there are mainly three types of ingredients that are most harmful to children: the first type is decongestant drugs containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine and other ingredients, which have an impact on children's cardiovascular system and may cause palpitations, heart rhythm, etc. arrhythmia; the second category is antihistamine drugs (i.e. antiallergic drugs) containing diphenhydramine and other ingredients, which may cause anaphylactic shock and arrhythmia; the third category is cough medicines containing dextromethorphan and other ingredients, Can cause brain damage, irregular heartbeat, respiratory depression, etc. Children should be especially cautious when taking cold medicines containing these three types of ingredients, and must not take them casually or overdose.
Reminder: Pediatric experts urge parents not to use drugs indiscriminately. Buying cold medicine by themselves is very harmful, because children's bodies are immature and their resistance to drugs is weak. In terms of medication, there is not only a difference in dosage, but also a different tolerance to the drug than that of adults, and some drugs are contraindicated for children. It is recommended that infants and young children under the age of 2 try to avoid using cold medicine, and children under the age of 6 should use it with caution under the guidance of a doctor.
Failure to see a doctor in time can lead to complications
Case: Ms. Lu's baby is more than 10 months old. A few days ago, the baby coughed, spit milk, cried, and had severe nasal congestion during sleep at night. Because an old man at home had a cold, Ms. Lu thought the baby was infected. However, Ms. Lu had seen overseas media reports that many cold medicines had side effects, and thought it was not safe to give her baby cold medicines, so she only asked her to drink plenty of water and did not go to the hospital for treatment. In the past few days, the baby has been sleeping poorly. He used to sleep for five or six hours at night before waking up, but now he wakes up after sleeping for half to one hour. He looks very uncomfortable, and the family is very worried.
So far, there is no medicine to treat colds. The "cold medicines" that many people take are nothing but antibiotics, medicines for preventing pulmonary obstruction, anti-fever, pain relief, etc., which can only relieve cold symptoms, not treat them, and have side effects. Influenza and cold viruses are developing and mutating at any time, so there is no medicine that can directly fight against the virus. People must use their own immune system to defeat colds. Experts believe that colds are self-limiting diseases, and most viral colds can be cured automatically. In this case, it is only necessary to strengthen nursing care, supplement nutrition, drink plenty of water and rest, and then carry out targeted treatment such as reducing fever, and No medication is required.
While the cold virus infects the respiratory tract, it will also damage other organs, such as the heart, liver, etc., and complications may occur. Such as tonsillitis, it may cause acute nephritis. In addition, the early manifestations of many diseases are the same as colds, such as viral myocarditis, measles, chickenpox, etc., which are difficult for parents to identify. Once a child catches a cold, parents should take the child to see a pediatrician, and follow the doctor's advice for nursing and treatment, and do not take medicine at will.
Reminder: Most of the cold medicines currently on the market are only for the relief of various symptoms of colds, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, dizziness, coughing and other symptoms, but have no therapeutic effect on the virus itself that causes colds. In addition, many diseases such as myocarditis, enteritis and other symptoms are similar to colds, so if they are not treated in time, they will have serious consequences.
Simple cold can be cured without taking medicine
The natural course of a simple cold is 5-7 days. If the pediatrician diagnoses that the cold is not too serious, there is no need to give the baby medicine, and the baby can heal itself by drinking more boiled water. Pediatric experts suggest that try not to give children cold medicines, especially if multiple cold medicines cannot be taken at the same time, which will cause more adverse reactions. It should be noted that if you have a high fever and exceed 38.5 ℃, or if there are complications, you should seek medical treatment in time to avoid a more serious condition after delay.
Physical method——
Because it is more dangerous for children to take medicine for a cold than not to take medicine, experts suggest that children with mild symptoms can take natural treatments such as drinking more water, resting more, and ventilating indoors frequently, as well as some physical methods, such as physical cooling, medication, etc. Salt water softens nasal secretions, clears nasal congestion, etc., and relieves cold symptoms. If you have a stuffy nose, you can alternately apply hot and cold towels to both sides of the nose.
Therapeutic method——
Traditional Chinese medicine talks about the same origin of medicine and food. Some simple diet therapy methods, drinking it several times a day, are also effective in treating children with colds. Parents may wish to try it.
Ginger syrup: Use sliced or shredded ginger to decoct in water, add a little brown sugar, and take it while it is hot. Babies under 1 year old can drink brown sugar water, which is warm in nature and can dispel cold. Babies over 1 year old can add a piece of ginger the size of a 1 yuan coin to the brown sugar water, and cut two slices over 3 years old.
Scallion drink: Take 7 one-inch-long scallions, soak them in milk powder, and boil them in water. Babies under 1 year old drink 20ml each time, several times a day.
Green onion ginger orange peel drink: take 4-5 scallions, 3-4 slices of ginger, 10-20 grams of fresh orange peel, and an appropriate amount of brown sugar. Wash the scallions, ginger, and orange peel, put them in a casserole and fry them together to get the juice, then add an appropriate amount of brown sugar, and take them in portions. Oranges, orange peels, and oranges can be used as medicines, which have the effect of relieving cough and reducing phlegm, and are very effective in relieving children's external symptoms of colds. This side is suitable for children over 1 year old.
Winter melon, barley, and lily porridge: Method: Take 20-30 grams of winter melon kernels, 15-20 grams of lily, and 100 grams of barley. First wash the wax gourd kernels, decoct in water to get the juice and remove the residue. Then cook it with lily and barley to make gruel, and take it 2-3 times a day. It can clear the lungs and reduce phlegm, and promote recovery. This prescription is suitable for children over 1 year old.