The Centre has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories on the rational use of cough syrups in the paediatric population. The Union Health Ministry has advised that Cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children below two years. It said, these are generally not recommended for children below five years, and above that, any use should follow careful clinical evaluation with close supervision and strict adherence to appropriate dosing and avoiding multiple drug combinations.

 

 

The Ministry has written a letter to the Director of Health Services of all States and Union Territories in this regard. It said that most acute cough illnesses in children are self-limiting and often resolve without pharmacological intervention. The Ministry has requested that all State and UT Health Departments, District Health Authorities, and all Clinical Establishments implement and disseminate this advisory across government dispensaries, district hospitals, and medical institutions.

 

 

In view of the recent reports suggesting that child deaths in Madhya Pradesh were linked to the consumption of cough syrups, a joint team consisting of representatives from the National Centre for Disease Control, National Institute of Virology, and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation visited the site. Various samples were collected in coordination with the State Authorities, including samples of various cough syrups. As per the test results, none of the samples contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG), contaminants that are known to cause serious kidney injury.

 

 

The Ministry said, the Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration also tested three samples and confirmed the absence of DEG or EG. As regards the reports related to two deaths of children in Rajasthan because of contaminated cough syrup consumption, it has been clarified that the product in question does not contain Propylene Glycol, which can be a potential source of contaminants, DEG or EG.