Why kids younger than 12 don’t need OTC cough and cold remedies

TheConversation: The common cold season is here, and if you have children, you will likely feel their suffering from these annoying upper respiratory tract viral infections. Children experience more colds, about six to 10 annually, than adults. With each cold producing symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose, cough and mild fever lasting up to seven to 10 days, it may seem that children are nearly continuously sick. Parents certainly want their ill children to feel better, and they, naturally, want to help. A frequent solution is over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, which are heavily advertised to treat many maladies, including colds. A stroll down your local pharmacy OTC drug aisle will highlight the numerous OTC drug products available for adults and children.
It is tempting to buy one or more of these products to help your child. However, for children younger than 12 years of age, it is best not to use commonly advertised OTC cough and cold drug products. These products lack supportive clinical study efficacy and safety data, an issue I’ve studied as a professor of pharmacy practice.

Herpes offers big insights on coughing – and potential new remedies

Queensland: Cough treatments could change dramatically after the herpes virus helped researchers discover that the respiratory tract links to two different parts of the nervous system. A research team led by The University of Queensland’s Dr Stuart Mazzone made the important breakthrough after setting out to learn more about the triggers behind excessive coughing. “Different physical sensations arise from the upper and lower respiratory tracts in people with respiratory diseases,” said Dr Mazzone, from the School of Biomedical Sciences.

Study finds many over the counter cough medicines have limited effectiveness in treating coughs

RCSI. Ireland: A study carried out by researchers at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) has found that there is no substantial evidence that over-the-counter medicines are effective in treating short-term coughs in children and adults. The research which was carried out by the Health Research Board (HRB) Centre for Primary Care Research, Department of General Practice, RCSI has been published in The Cochrane Library.