Infant Cold Drugs Removed from Market

October 2007

Attention parents – the makers of Dimetapp, Little Colds, Pediacare, Robitussin, Triaminic, and Tylenol have pulled all cold and cough medicine marketed toward infants from U.S. store shelves. Following last month’s warning by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) experts, children’s cold medication has been removed due to reports of overdose and misuse.

The following infant cold and cough products have been pulled from all American stores, including supermarkets and drugstore chains:

• Dimetapp Decongestant Infant Drops
• Dimetapp Decongestant Plus Cough Infant Drops
• Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough
• Little Colds Multi-Symptom Cold Formula
• Pediacare Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine)
• Pediacare Infant Drops Decongestant & Cough (containing pseudoephedrine)
• Pediacare Infant Dropper Decongestant (containing phenylephrine)
• Pediacare Infant Dropper Long-Acting Cough
• Pediacare Infant Dropper Decongestant & Cough (containing phenylephrine)
• Robitussin Infant Cough DM Drops
• Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant
• Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant Plus Cough
• Tylenol Concentrated Infants’ Drops Plus Cold
• Tylenol Concentrated Infants’ Drops Plus Cold & Cough

The FDA has linked at least 54 infant deaths to over-the-counter decongestant drugs in the past four decades. In that time, the FDA also reports 69 child deaths due to antihistamine use. Child cold and cough medicine for children ages two and over is unaffected by this removal and remains on the market.