By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
The Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Kerala has strongly advised all parents to avoid self-medicating their children and to seek proper paediatric consultation for the safe and effective management of all illnesses, especially cold and cough
It has also urged all health-care providers to strictly adhere to rational prescriptions for children and also emphasised the importance of sensitising parents regarding rational and safe practices in the management of childhood cough
The IAP Kerala issued this guidance for parents and paediatricians following a directive by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) that cough syrup should not be prescribed for children below the age of two years.
“The directive by the DGCI should be seen in the broader sense as a warning to adhere to rational prescription of medicines, especially for young children. Parents should strictly desist the temptation to buy random over-the-counter prescriptions for managing cough and cold in children. In case young children have a significant cough, the paediatrician should be consulted and appropriate medication in proper dosages administered to the child,” says I. Riaz, President, IAP Kerala.
IAP advises that paediatricians do not prescribe combination cough syrups and cold medications for children under 2 years. Their use in older children must follow careful clinical evaluation, close supervision, and strict adherence to appropriate dosing, shortest effective duration, and avoidance of irrational drug combinations.
“Cough is a symptom of some airway disruption and this could be due to asthma, allergy, lack of hydration or post-nasal drip. While most acute cough illnesses in young children are self-limiting and resolve without pharmacological intervention, for children above six months of age, paediatricians can safely prescribe antihistamines or bronchodilators in appropriate dosage and for appropriate duration,” Dr. Riaz said.
Bronchodilators may be prescribed when cough is due to asthma or wheezing disorders and preferably, these should be used in inhaled form through a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) with spacer, which is both effective and safe in children, IAP says.
Non-pharmacological measures – including adequate hydration, rest, saline nasal drops, and supportive care -should remain the first-line approach for most cough illnesses in children.
“All coughs may not be the same and hence parents should not blindly repeat old prescriptions, every time a child develops a cough. Dosage and duration also changes as the child grows,” Dr.Riaz adds.