Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that exposure to pseudoephedrine, a decongestant found in many cough-and-cold and allergy medications, has been common among U.S. children, especially those under the age of two years who are at the highest risk for toxicity and for whom safe dosing recommendations are lacking.
These findings appear in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics .
Pseudoephedrine has been associated with deaths and adverse events in young children. However, the absolute risks of pediatric pseudoephedrine use are difficult to determine because the number of children exposed to this medication and typical patterns of use are unknown. In addition, use may be changing because of the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005, a law which limited availability of pseudoephedrine-containing products.
To define the frequency and patterns of use, the researchers analyzed data from 1999 through 2006 on pseudoephedrine use among 4,267 children, aged 0 to 17 years, who were enrolled in the Slone Survey, a national random-digit-dial telephone survey of medication use in the U.S.