WASHINGTON: Don’t give
over-the-counter cold remedies to kids under 4, drug companies said on Tuesday.
What sniffling little ones need, doctors said, are plenty of fluids and lots of
tender, loving care.

“The best thing a parent can do is comfort their
children,” said Dr. Laura Herrera, a Baltimore family practitioner and mother of
two. “Keeping them as comfortable as possible is certainly better than giving
cough and cold medicines.”

In a concession to pediatricians, who
doubt the drugs do much good for children and worry about risks, the companies
that make over-the-counter remedies like Dimetapp and Pediacare announced they
had changed their advice to parents for the second cold season in a
row.

Besides recommending against cold medicines off drugstore and
grocery shelves, the companies say not to give antihistamines to kids to help
them sleep. The new instructions are on packages that started hitting stores
this week.

Last year, the industry went against cough and cold
medicines for children under 2. The latest changes came after discussions
between drug companies and the Food and Drug Administration. The talks were kept
quiet for months as federal health officials debated how to respond to a
pediatricians’ petition seeking to ban the medications for kids under 6. At a
public hearing last week, neither industry officials nor regulators gave any
hint of an impending announcement.

Cough and cold products have been
given to children for decades, but it turns out the medicines were never
scientifically tested to see how well they work in kids. And recent research has
found some untoward side effects, mostly stemming from accidental
overdoses.

Pediatricians who support a ban for kids under 6
nonetheless said they were pleased with the industry
announcement.

“It’s a huge step forward,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein,
Baltimore’s health commissioner. “There is no evidence that these products work
in kids, and there is definitely evidence of serious side effects.”