They're taking away WHICH medicines?!?
So leading manufacturers of cough and cold medicines for babies and toddlers said today that they're yanking all such products from the shelves in advance of an FDA hearing next week on the safety of the drugs.
What are they taking out of our baskets of cranky-baby soothers? Dimetapp, Robitussin, Tylenol cough & cold stuff, etc.
Here's my favorite quote from one of the pediatricians in today's story: “If you can actually pull a
booger out with a suction device, people can feel better."
Right. And this guy has held down a 2-year-old who's already pissed off cuz she can't breathe, squirted saline drops up her nose, then used a bulb syringe to extract chunky, nasty greenness? By himself? With no nurses to help?
Oh, c'mon. I gave up on the suction bulb/syringey thing when Sam was about 8 months old because she was just too freakin' strong and squirmy -- and because she screamed bloody murder anytime that thing got near her nose. Tissues and good, old-fashioned boogie pickin' with my fingers just worked better.
And yes, I've used many of these products. I've tried a variety of them, especially right after Sam started day care and caught some form of the plague every other week. I swear they work. Not all of them all of the time, but I've seen them ease symptoms for her so she can breathe well enough to finally go to sleep.
I don't stuff medicine down her throat at the first sneeze, but if it helps make her more comfortable when she's miserable, you better bet I'm gonna use it. Of course the medicine goes along with extra cuddling and smooches, lots of fluids and/or fruit popsicles, mentholated chest creams, back and/or tummy rubs, etc.
What do you think? Do you give your kids these types of medicines when they're sick? Are you going to stock up on what's still available just in case they don't come back on the market? And at what age do you think it's safe to give kids such medicine: 2? 6? 12?
Janet · October 12, 2007 3:49 PM
I'm with you sister! And of course Syd woke up with a nasty cold today . . . .
Lynne · October 14, 2007 7:42 PM
Ive had four kids and i agree with you. the bulb syringe doesnt work. my oldest child is 24 and my oldest is 9 and the cold medicines they took off the shelves did work to ease symptoms, but there will be parents out there that will end up using adult medicines on their children because these were taken off the shelves and now there will be a higher chance of overdosing. i dont agree with them being taken off the shelves!!!