Baby dies due to mother's codeine intake

[gertie]

Has anybody taken note of the case of a 13 day old baby who died last year due to morphine overdose? It seems that the mother has been taking cough syrup and the codeine in her system killed the baby who was breastfeeding from her.

This highlights the dangers of cough syrup. Imagine giving your kid the cough syrup directly. Their bodies just can't handle it!

[napalm]

I agree with you on that. These cough syrup are often available over the counter and they are really subject to abuse! Not only that, children are not equipped with the necessary systems to help them digest and metabolize the chemicals in these medications. So the effects can be disastrous.

On top of this, there are studies that found that codeine is not really helpful with coughing, or it loses its effectiveness over time.

Could this be the reason why cough and cold medicines for children were pulled out of New Zealand supermarket shelves last week?

[BroSantino]

Yes, their Health Ministry decided that these medicines were not fit for children under 6 years old. Not all cough and colds meds have been withdrawn though. Those that uses natural ingredients like lemon and honey, those that contain only glycerol and guaiphenesin will remamin.

[EmiRoss]

That's right, only those meds that contain dextromethorphan, ipecacuanha and phenylephrine will be pulled out of supermarket shelves.

[WantTope]

This should be no surprise. If you remember the FDA also came out with a similar warning last year. We should all be aware of how these meds work.

[markedman]

Dextromethorphan actually inhibits brain activity, and this is what causes alarm. You could get dizzy and drowsy with dextromethorphan use. Not only that you could get upset stomach and discomfort, nausea and vomiting.

[MarissaS]

Right, and Dextromethorphan could also make you restless and nervous. But these are minor side effects, you could have rashes, hallucinations, get confused and have problems breathing.

[Blender]

Be sure to use dextromethorphan medications as instructed by your doctor, and no child under 4 years old should take it. You should also not mix it with other medications.

[sweet gal]

Oh!poor baby!.That is why it is vital to visit a doctor to have a proper prescription of medicine intake especially those pregnant women and those who breast feed their baby. Right?