New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- In the wake of reports linking the deaths of 11 children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to allegedly contaminated cough syrups, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) today issued an advisory cautioning against the use of such medications in young children.
According to the advisory, cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children under the age of two years, and are "generally not recommended" for children below five years. For older children, their use must be guided by careful clinical evaluation, with close supervision, appropriate dosing, and a minimal duration of use. The advisory further recommends avoiding multi-drug combinations and urges public awareness on the importan...