Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of health and Family Welfare has issued an advisory to all states and union territories, including Odisha, for judicious of use of cough syrups for children below 5 years of age.

The Ministry issued the advisory in the wake of the recent incidents of child death allegedly due to toxic cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The advisory issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Union Government has detailed suggestions to ensure judicious prescribing and dispensing of cough syrups for children. In its advisory the Ministry clearly stated that most of the cough illness in children are self-limiting and often resolve without pharmacological intervention, said the Health and Family Welfare Department of the state government today.

As per the advisory cough and cold syrups should not be prescribed to children under 2 years of age. These medicines are also not recommended for children below 5 years of age. Even for children above 5 years, the use of these medicines should be done after careful evaluation of health condition of the child, and close supervision of the doctor regarding appropriate dosing.

The advisory has emphasized non-pharmacological measures like adequate hydration, rest and supportive measures as first-line of approach. All prescribers and dispensers in the field of paediatric care across government and private sector health facilities have been advised to uphold these standards of care, said the Department.

“Parents, care takers of the children and public at large have been advised to strictly adhere to the prescription and advise of the doctors for better safety and wellness of their children,” it added.