GSK Voluntarily Recalled Children's Cough Syrup Due to Potentially Dangerous Misinformation in Packaging

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has voluntarily recalled three of its children's cough syrups due to the incorrect dosing cups in their packaging. Among these are Children's Robitussin Honey Cough and Chest Congestion DM and Children's Dimetapp Cold and Cough.

That means parents might unintentionally overdose their children by putting too much syrup in the dosing cup.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, if overdosed, the child may feel dizziness, seizures, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hallucinations, impaired coordination, and elevated blood pressure, among other concerns.

GSK Recalls Robitussin and Dimetapp

GSK discovered the error on their packaging when conducting a review on their products, FDA announced on Thursday. The company found that the cups for Children's Robitussin Honey cough syrup do not have lines for 5 milliliter and 10-milliliter graduations.

Likewise, dosing cups for Children's Dimetapp were also missing the 10-milliliter graduation. The cups for both children's cough syrup only had the 20-milliliter graduation, CNN reports.

If parents are unable to see the discrepancies between the graduations printed on the dosing cups, there is a risk of potential overdose to children. FDA said that as of the date of recall announcement, GSK has not yet received any adverse events or consumer complaints related to these products.

But FDA continues to remind parents and caregivers not to give children under two years old any over-the-counter medicines and codeine-based medications for children under 12. Together with the American Academy of Pediatrics, FDA noted that studies show may parents are mixing too many OTC drugs and overdosing their children.

A Cough May Not Be the First Symptom of COVID-19 on Children

A key symptom of COVID-19 among adults is a constant, powerful hacking cough, specifically a dry cough that is bothersome.

A dry cough that tickles in the throat that comes from the breast bone or sternum, which inflames and irritates the bronchial tubes, said professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease, Dr. William Schaffner, from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, in April.

But in children's case, a cough may not be the first symptom of COVID-19. The usual signs on children are digestive tract symptoms unless they have underlying conditions such as diabetes, asthma, obesity, and immune or heart condition.

Parents immediately seek professional help from pediatricians, especially if the child also has a fever or a history of exposure to this disease.

Rest and Home Remedies

Some coughs may not need any medication as the majority of it can be resolved by rest and home remedies. So, the best thing to do to eliminate cough is through staying hydrated because liquids thin out mucus and make it less irritating to the throat, making it easier for the lungs to expel.

Parents may put a cool-mist humidifier, also called a vaporizer, inside their children's room to help hydrate the lungs. Just make sure to clean it every day. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend hot-water vaporizers as they can burn.

Home remedies such as tea, chicken soup, and honey may also alleviate the coughing. It should improve over a few days, but if that does not happen, it may be time to check with a doctor.