Media Release:

The kids' cough medicine debate

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK have recently announced a list of measures to promote safer use of cough and cold medicines for children under 12 years old. The study* concluded that cough and cold remedies containing certain ingredients should no longer be used in children under 6, as the risks were shown to outweigh the benefits.

The MHRA says parents and carers in the UK can now no longer use cough and cold medicines containing the much-used active ingredients such as dextromethorphan and guaifenesin in children under 6. This suggests that many cough treatments sold in Australia would not be acceptable in the UK.

The MHRA have concluded that these medicines are not safe for children as there have been no clinical trials undertaken by the drug companies to demonstrate that they worked in children, which means they were not specifically designed for them and could be unsafe. The review found no strong evidence other medicines actually work and they can cause side effects including allergic reactions, adverse sleep patterns or hallucinations in children.

Fortunately, parents here in Australia have an alternative solution to treating their child’s cough. Prospan is a new clinically proven cough medicine from Germany suitable for children (including under two years old with a doctor’s advice). Prospan has the strength to clear chesty and bronchial coughs. It acts as a mucolytic, an expectorant and a bronchodilator. It also has NO known interactions or contraindications.

Results from controlled clinical trials of Prospan confirm the tolerability and efficacy of Prospan’s active ingredient Hedera Helix for the treatment of chesty and bronchial coughs in adults and children. One study in particular has shown high tolerability of Prospan’s active ingredient in over 52,000 children aged 0-12 years.*

Now that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has enforced new regulations within Australia, the number of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines available for children is severely restricted and parents are left wondering how to treat their child’s cough. Now families can be prepared for the Winter months, by keeping Prospan on hand, with the peace of mind that they can treat their child’s cough.

References:

• Tolerability of dried ivy leaf (hedera helix) extract in children. Supplement in the Newspaper of Phytotherapy, Karin Kraft, 2004:25:179-181 (Germany).
• Hederae Helicis Folium: Ivy Leaf. ESCOP Monographs, 2003: 241-247
• Better medicines for children’s coughs and colds. Press Release: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), 28th February 2009 (London).

www.prospan.com.au

Mum Zone Release Date: 19th May 2009

Back to Media Releases