Growing up I was always assured when things didn’t go my way that my parents were always “looking out for my best interest.” Although parents make many choices kids don’t agree with, most of the time it is for their own good and parents are just doing their job. A brand new study shows that over-the-counter children’s cough and cold medicines are still being purchased, disregarding warnings that they may be unsafe and turning to natural cures may just be the answer.
The research was funded by Bionorica—an herbal-based pharmaceutical company—and conducted by scientists from Harris Interactive® to show what the consumers are buying and asking for, in terms of natural versus western over the counter medications. Bionorica is gaining popularity as one of the first companies to test complementary and alternative herbal remedies in double-blind studies that lead to science-backed natural products that everyone can rely on—meaning both western and eastern medicines—like the recently U.S.-introduced nasal and respiratory product Sinupret.
The survey showed that while 90 percent of parents say they know about the danger associated with children’s OTC cold and cough medicines as well as their level of success, which has also been under scrutiny. However, of the 90 percent, 62 percent of parents say that they are still administering these possibly dangerous products to their children when presented with cold-like symptoms.
Of the public that took the survey, another 16 percent of adults had never heard of the threats behind certain OTC medications made for kids. A certified family physician at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, Dr. Marcela Dominguez, says that the percentage of Americans who don’t know anything about the dangers is especially alarming, “It's very concerning to me that so many parents are still giving their children these OTC cough and cold products with the possible associated dangers and the question of their effectiveness in children.”
Of the general public surveyed, 84 percent knew a little bit about this looming danger to children. Since most parents are getting to know about the perlous potential behind these cold and cough products, that means good news for the world wide web. The internet has had a big influence on consumers, as parents seem to be aware of the dangers of these OTC medications due to web searches, online articles, and browser banners. In fact, a 70 percent majority of the public surveyed received this information through either the internet or other media sources, while less than half of parents found out about it through their doctors or through word of mouth.
However, the internet is not always the most reliable source of credible news and statistics says clinical associate professor/pharmacologist at the University of Washington, Dr. Narinder Duggal, “While the news media can be a good source of information for the public, information on the Internet is not always reliable nor should it replace the patient/physician dialogue…. It's alarming to me that so few people talk to their doctors about the effectiveness and dangers of health products before they take them or give them to their children.”
Although OTC medications are being dragged throught the mud and parental-decisions are being questioned, alternative health remedies are actually picking up. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) recently released a study showing the rise in natural remedies and that many parents are also getting their children involved with practices like chiropractics, accupuncture, and yoga. The study also goes on to say that the public might be more inclined to lean towards alternative treatments if there was more scientific credibility behind the treatments, or if more doctors were recommending unconventional methods.
Over 75 percent of people said they would be willing to try complementary treatments and almost the same percentage agreed that they would like their children to have the option of natural items for cough and cold but only if one or more of three main conditions are true for each product: no harmful side effects exist; clinical testing has been done; and the treatment/medicine has a proven record of success.
If only those three reasons for credible treatments existed on a wider, more-western scale including the popular OTC medications we seem to be so quick to believe in. If there are concerns about you own or your child’s treatment—even if it’s only for a cough or common cold—especially questions about drug interactions or dosages always ask your doctor and if there are natural remedies you would like to look into, ask about those too and the responses may surprise you; the more you know, the more you can prevent.Source
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