By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Paediatricians in the State are unhappy about the advisory issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), which asked medical practitioners not to prescribe cough syrups for children below two years.

Many paediatricians thought this was an extreme measure.

“Cough is just a symptom and children can be coughing due to many reasons, including allergic rhinitis or asthma, which can be very distressing for parents of young children. There are several classes of drugs which we use to treat these coughs, all of which fall under the “cough medicine” classification. In the current situation, the authorities should define what is a “cough” medicine, rather than disallowing all medications for kids below two years,” a senior paediatrician said.

‘Give clarification’

There should be clarification on when children can be given “cough medicine” and which class of medicines may be safely prescribed, he added.

The advisory maintained that children below two years did not need to be prescribed cough syrups as “most acute cough illnesses in this age group are self-limiting and resolve without pharmacological intervention.’‘

However, paediatricians point out that it does not mean that when children below two years cough, they may be left untreated.

Children, even those below two years with asthma need bronchodilators, while those with allergic rhinitis would need to be prescribed antihistamines, both of which are used to treat coughs. Cough suppressants, on the other hand, should not be used for children below two years as the preservatives used in these formulations may not be suitable for children.

‘Avoid OTC medications’

“There are some decongestants in the market with irrational drug combinations which need to be avoided for children. Over-the-counter (OTC) cough medications for children should not be resorted to. But if parents feel that their young child has a significant cough, paediatricians should be able to treat it,” Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Kerala, president I. Riaz said

Dr. Riaz feels that while the blanket ban on cough medications for young children may not be rational, the IAP would like to use this opportunity to create awareness about good practices among parents, such as avoiding self-medication of children and not using OTC drugs .

The State Health department is in the process of formulating clear-cut guidelines on the management of cough illnesses in children, according to the Health Minister.