How to talk with patients and parents about cough medicine:

•  Coughing is generally a normal defense mechanism of the body.
•  Research shows that cough medications for common colds – both chemically formulated or plant-based – are not effective and can have potentially serious side effects.
•  Many cough medicine products have more than one ingredient, increasing the risk of accidental overdose, particularly when combined with other medications.

 You can give the following advice:

• Do not expose the child to cigarette
• Provide a good indoor environment with a humidity of 50—60 % and a room temperature of 18°C.
• Elevate the child’s upper
• Nasal irrigation with normal saline in case of post-nasal drip
• Offer honey to children aged 12 months and older, with a teaspoon or melted in
•  Try a wait-and-see approach, reassess clinical state in a few weeks.

This EAP recommendation is in accordance with Choosing Wisely recommendations of:

• Switzerland: www.paediatrieschweiz.ch/choosingwisely Canada: cps.ca/en/tools-outils/choosing-wisely-canada,
• USA AAP/FDA: www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/should-you-give-kids-medicine-coughs-and-colds#, Finland: www.kaypahoito.fi/en/?s=respiratory+infection

References:

•  Korppi M. Cough and cold medicines should not be recommended for children. Acta Paediatr. 2021 Aug;110(8):2301-2302. PMID: 33811382
•  Palmu S, Heikkilä P, Kivistö JE, Poutanen R, Korppi M, Renko M, Csonka P. Cough medicine prescriptions for children were significantly reduced by a systematic intervention that reinforced national recommendations. Acta Paediatr. 2022 Jun;111(6):1248-1249. PMID: 35143072
•  Smith SM, Schroeder K, Fahey T. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications for acute cough in children and adults in community settings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Nov 24;2014(11):CD001831. PMID: 25420096