FDA experts mull ban on child cold meds

Did drug makers go far enough when they pulled infant cough-and-cold remedies from store shelves last week? Maybe not, the FDA says. An advisory panel convened to discuss the over-the-counter meds is weighing the evidence: that every study of pediatric cold products shows they don't work; that dosing is confusing; and that some research concludes the meds are dangerous. One FDA official told the committee to consider banning them.

Obviously, the drug industry doesn't want to lose these products. The Consumer Health Productions Association is promising an educational campaign to teach parents to use the products properly and avoid overdose. But another powerful group is set against them: pediatricians, who originally lobbied the FDA to take up the issue.

- read the New York Times report

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