A child has a bad cough. He's stuffed up. Maybe has a fever. And parents snap them up. But if they heard what people in the medical community had to say about these medications, they might think twice before giving them to their children.
Some medications are beyond dispute.
It is generally agreed that analgesics like acetaminophen are a safe and effective way to reduce fever and pain. But when it comes to antihistamines, decongestants and expectorants, the agreement ends. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at clinical trials done over the last forty years and came to the conclusion that there is no good evidence of the effectiveness of these medications in pre-school children. The side effects. Decongestants have been known to cause rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure and, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.