Risky MedicineBy Katherine Lee, Working Mother, August 2007 - September 2007
The next time your 5-or-under child has a cold, skip the kids' cold medicine and call your pediatrician instead.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other children's health professionals have expressed concern about possible risks (such as cardiac arrhythmia and increased blood pressure) of common over-the-counter remedies.
More than 1,500 children under age 2 were treated in emergency rooms in 2004 and 2005 for problems related to taking cold and cough medicines. As well, three infants died from medications containing the common ingredient pseudoephedrine, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
Some drug-free ways to ease your child's symptoms, from Dan Levy, MD, president of the Maryland chapter of the AAP: Provide plenty of fluids, including chicken soup, which is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Offer a teaspoon honey and two drops of lemon juice in warm water to relieve a cough in a child over age 1…
This is a very poor, and potentially dangerous, choice of headline, particularly the use of the term 'Infants'. It is generally accepted that infants should not be given honey, as their digestive systems are still developing and are not necessarily yet able to process it. Although there are some differences of opinion as to whether a child should be at least 1, or 2, years old before being given honey (proper professional medical advice should be sought by parents), either way use of the word infants will include children younger than that to most people.
ReplyDeleteThe article does state to give honey with lemon juice in water to children above 1 year - highlighted - however that is not sufficient to overide what the headline states.
It is such a pity, as the subject is good, and encouraging greater use of honey to aid against coughs and colds in children (those above 2 years) is a positive thing. For many cases it may be a better and tastier option than manufactured cough syrups.
Yes they should change the headline asap; that is what I came to say as well! They should have said something like "to treat older childrens' coughs".
ReplyDeleteI DO NOT think that the headline is wrong or misleading, but instead, along with the text, it tells the truth.Real honey is anything but dangerous for infants(under 1y old).There are billions kinds of food that can cause botulism and a million other bad practices performed by doctors and parents that can render an infant vulnerable to botulism.Instead of studying this subject thoroughly, we have stack our minds to Honey is dangerous for infants.
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