Children Under 2 Should Not Be Given Cough Syrup: Central Government Issues Advisory After Child Deaths
New Delhi: Following reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Central Government has issued a strong advisory against prescribing or administering cough and cold syrups to children under the age of two. The Union Health Ministry has advised that such medications should not be given to children below two years, citing serious health risks.
In a notification to all state and union territory health departments, the ministry emphasized that cough and cold medications are generally not recommended for children under five years, and even for older children, such medicines should be used only after proper medical evaluation and under a doctor’s supervision.
Trigger for the Advisory
The advisory follows alarming incidents in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, where the consumption of cough syrups reportedly led to the deaths of several children.
The Health Ministry has confirmed that a multi-disciplinary team is currently investigating the deaths reported in Chhindwara, analyzing samples and other contributing factors to determine the exact cause.
Action in Rajasthan
In Rajasthan, where two child deaths and several illnesses were linked to cough syrup allegedly distributed under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme, the state government has taken swift action:
- Drug Controller Raja Ram Sharma has been suspended.
- All 19 medicines supplied by the manufacturer Kassen Pharma have been banned from distribution.
According to the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL), since 2012, over 10,119 drug samples from Kassen Pharma had been tested — 42 of which were found to be substandard.
Political and Administrative Response
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered a detailed investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup in Chhindwara after the deaths of nine children suspected to have died from kidney infections caused by the medicine.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called the deaths “deeply tragic” in a social media post, confirming that Coldrif syrup, reportedly manufactured in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is under scrutiny. Following the incident, the Rajasthan government has requested the Tamil Nadu government to conduct an investigation into the manufacturing unit involved.
