Warning against use of Vicks VapoRub in babies and toddlers
Is there no end to the bad news in connection with cough and cold medicines? And it’s not only the syrups that we know which are in question here. The safety issues concern chest rubs and salves as well.
A recent article in the January issue of the journal CHEST, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) reported that Vicks VapoRub “may stimulate production and airway inflammation”, that can induce respiratory distress in infants and toddlers under the age of 2. The salve contains substances that irritate the airway passages. These irritants cause mucus production, which unfortunately in young children whose airways are much narrower than those of adults, can have some serious consequences, according to the report by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC.
To be fair, the current labeling of Vicks VapoRub specifically warns against the use of the product in children under the age of two. However, many parents tend to forget to read the labels before using seemingly innocuous medications such as a chest rub, which I am sure, is a fixture in many households.
Many of us grew up with Vicks VapoRub. I can still remember that nice menthol smell in my nose and the coolness on my chest every time my mom used it to ease my stuff nose. Who would have thought that this for-external-use only decongestant could present a danger to little children? The researchers reported that although application of decongestants may seem make you feel better, it actually doesn’t relieve the congestion. They discourage the practice of applying the salve under the nose or inside the nostrils. They also emphasize that although only Vicks VaporRub was tested, their warnings may also be valid to other decongestant rubs with similar ingredients.
I never used Vicks VapoRub on my kids because my German pharmacist discouraged its use on little babies. What I used (and is still using) are nose sprays made from sterile saline solution or seawater.
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Daddydoctor says...
As a dad and a doctor, I find children’s cough and cold medications a very scary topic. I used believe the drug companies, and think that as long as my patient’s or I dosed the children’s cold & cough medications right, then everything would be OK. But when I researched this further, it turns out that children have died from “over dose” of ALL THE MAJOR CHILDRENS COLD AND COUGH MEDICINES even when given the correct dose.
The number of infant deaths attributed to cold and cough medicines is dramatically underreported. New research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics demonstrated that there were at least “10 unexpected infant deaths that were associated with cold-medication” in 2006 alone in the state of Arizona. Extrapolated over the US and Canadian population, that would be over 500 deaths a year associated with cold-medication! (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/122/2/e318)
The FDA recently said that they do not want to pull the medications for children under 6 because they are afraid that parents will give children adult doses because “parents would have no other alternatives.” The truth is that the American Academy of Pediatrics has said that buckwheat honey is a safe alternative.
Parents now have a safe, effective, yet natural choice for their children. Recent research from Penn State showed 100% pure Buckwheat Honey out performed children’s cough and cold medicine for children’s nighttime cough.
Buckwheat Honey is considered safe for children 1 and older, so it is the perfect choice for conscientious parents and doctors. Currently, “Honey Don’t Cough” is the only company packaging 100% pure Buckwheat Honey in ready-to-use packets for children. A growing number of pharmacies are providing “Honey don’t Cough,” it is available on Amazon.com.
-Daddydoctor
akitta says...
Is Vicks VaporRub for babies ok to use? I use this on my kids from time to time. I like it because it is not so strong as the adult version.
Lisa says...
I don’t think a lot of people realize that Vick’s makes a special vaporub made especially for babies. It’s called Vick’s BabyRub and it is safe for infants and toddlers.