A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Friday to ban popular over-the-counter cold products intended for children under the age of 6.
The panel found there was no proof that the medicines eased cold symptoms in children, while there are rare reports that they have caused serious harm.
NewMexiKen found this sentence particularly revealing: “Still, nine panel members voted against an outright ban in children ages 2 to 5, arguing that doctors and parents need something for ill children, even if it has no proven effect.”
Even if it has no proven effect. I’ll bet it has a proven effect on pharmaceutical company bottom lines.
Since the drugs are proven mostly harmless, that is better than some herbals that parents may turn to that may prove considerably less harmless.