Are children’s medicines useless?

Too many medicines for children are unnecessary or dangerous. This is the opinion of the association UFC What To Choose which, in its last issue dated March, lists the drugs that are useful or to be avoided by adding the actions to be taken according to the symptoms in children.

The objective: to avoid excessive recourse to treatments of doubtful or worse efficacy which may be contraindicated for the young patient. “Already in 2005, a survey by the Aude primary health insurance fund revealed that one in ten children under 15 had been prescribed a drug that was contraindicated for their age,” recalls the UFC What to choose. There is also the risk of side effects linked to certain drugs. “Aware that too many drugs given to treat mild childhood ailments expose people to serious side effects, doctors and learned societies revise their recommendations and initiate deprescribing. Many specialties have also been delisted or even withdrawn because unnecessary, even dangerous, “continues the association.

The group takes stock of the main treatments for common childhood ailments and recalls the behavior to be followed.

What to do in case of a cold in children?

The treatments to avoid according to the UFC Que Choose: antiseptic or decongestant sprays for the nose (officially contraindicated for children under 15), suppositories combining an antiallergic and paracetamol or inhalations based on essential oils. “As natural as they are, they can lead to a risk of seizures, because of camphor or eucalyptus, terpenes,” warns the UFC Que Choisir.

The right reflex: bet on physiological serum in pods or salt water spray including to prevent coughing.

What to do in case of a cough?

To avoid : syrups, suppositories or powders that promise to suppress dry or oily cough. They “have no proven utility and have undesirable effects”, points out the collective. They are even contraindicated in children under two years old.

The right reflex: the physiological serum or sterile seawater, for mild cough. These actions will prevent the flow of cold mucus in the throat by unclogging the nose.

What to do in case of fever?

This is not necessarily to be treated according to the UFC Que Choisir. “If a drug is necessary, paracetamol (Doliprane, Dolko, Dafalgan pediatric) does the trick, as long as the dosage is respected”.

With caution : Ibuprofen (Advilmed, Nurofenpro) has contraindications and may cause side effects, so medical advice is required.

What to do in case of pain?

Paracetamol is the first reflex in case of ear pain, headache, sore throat or toothache.

With caution : ibuprofen. It may be more effective in severe pain and trauma, but certain contraindications exist. Medical advice is required. It should be avoided in dental pain.

What to do in case of diarrhea?

To avoid : Imodium children, issued by prescription to slow intestinal motility in children from 2 years old, which can cause pseudo-occlusive syndromes by blocking transit and exposes to drowsiness interfering with rehydration.

Also avoid intestinal antiseptics (panfurex, nifuroxazide), also on prescription and reserved for over 2 years. They “have no effect on acute diarrhea and are even potentially toxic to children (allergic disorders, serious skin side effects, etc.)”.

NSAIDs (Advilmed and Nurofenpro), available without a prescription for infants from three months old and often used in pain or fever are contraindicated in cases of dehydration. They present a risk of kidney failure.

The right reflex: oral rehydration solutions (ORS) useful in preventing dehydration associated with acute diarrhea.

What to do in case of reflux of the infant?

To avoid : domperidone-based drugs (Motilium, Peridys, Oroperidys and their generics) which were widely prescribed for “reflux babies”. The group warns: responsible for serious adverse effects such as rare cardiac and neurological problems, they have fortunately been abandoned in this indication because of their total ineffectiveness. In 2005, the High Authority for Health (HAS) restricted their reimbursement to treatment for nausea and vomiting. Since 2016 she recommends no longer to use them in children. However, these have not yet all been withdrawn from the market (ongoing for Peridys and Oroperidys, but not Motilium).

The right reflex:

“Infant refluxis most of the time absolutely benign, not justifying to offer a drug treatment “, recalls the UFC Que Choisir which recommends instead of” hygieno-dietetic measures (such as the thickening of the food bolus or the splitting of the meals in the big eaters) “.

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