Potential Cough Medicine Poisoning
As parents, we often want to do anything we can to help when a child is sick. Unfortunately, too much medicine can sometimes be dangerous. In today’s post, we’re talking about a new study involving potential cough medicine poisoning.
Prescription Cough Medicine Poisoning
A new study from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) found that reports of pediatric poisonings involving prescription cough medicine have increased in recent years.
On November 15th, NBC News covered the FDA’s report. The information indicates that reports to poison control centers involving the prescription medicine benzonatate have increased every year from 2010 to 2018. Benzonatate, sold under the brand name Tessalon, is prescribed to treat coughs caused by colds or the flu. According to the report, the medicine is not approved for children younger than 10 years old.
Fortunately, the majority of the reported incidents did not seem to result in serious negative health incidents. That said, inappropriate use of the drug could lead to serious symptoms and even death. The FDA’s study was based on more than 4,600 reported cases. The reports included children who were unintentionally exposed to the drug, as well as children who abused or misused it intentionally.
Always Follow Doctor’s Orders
In today’s case, we’re talking about a specific medication. When talking about medicine, it is important to note that every person’s body is different. Medicines also affect adults and children quite differently. To make matters worse, one person’s body may reaction to certain chemicals differently than someone else’s body.
Potential cough medicine poisoning could happen more quickly and unexpectedly than a well-meaning parent might suspect. For this reason, it is always crucial to speak with a medical professional. That’s especially true when trying new medicines. A full and complete check-up will warn of any possible red flags. As mentioned earlier, in the case of Benzonatate, kids under 10 shouldn’t be taking it at all.
Lock The Medicine Up
In the past, we’ve spoken about keeping kids away from medicines, drugs and other harmful chemicals. Believe it or not, far too many accidents happen when seemingly harmless medicines are left on the counter.
The truth is, kids are naturally very curious. Younger tots love to put anything and everything in their mouths. Older kids may be feeling sick and reach for a potential cure.
For this reason, the first step should be to secure your medicine away after each use. Don’t leave it exposed to children. Put pills and drugs in a designated spot, preferably far out of reach. Don’t simply leave them on a high counter or nightstand. It can be tempting to leave these bottles out, especially if you need to reuse them every several hours, however kids are resourceful and more agile than many of us realize. It’s best to keep them out of sight and out of mind.
Additionally, remind any house-guests who may have visiting to take extra care of their medicines. Keeping pills in a purse or coat can accidentally leave curious kids exposed to a potential hazard.
Finally, child-proof and lock up the cabinets, especially for little kids. Taking extra precautions can be a life-saving move. When it comes to kids and potential cough medicine poisoning, adults can never be too careful.