No to Cough Medicine and No to Antibacterial Soap

Past cautions about the use of cough medicine in children and antibacterial soap have recently turned into strong warnings to avoid these products due to harm and lack of benefit.

FDA: No Antibacterial Soap

At the beginning of the month, the FDA came out with a ban on marketing antibacterial soaps for consumer use. The popularity of these soaps has grown over the years with consumers thinking they are protecting themselves from dangerous germs. The FDA's report found no evidence of benefit from these antibacterial products over regular soap. Over time, there could be harm from using these products on a regular basis. Common antibacterial chemical triclosan has been found to accumulate in the body and has been linked to various health issues due to its interference with hormones.

AAP: No Codeine (Cough Medicine) for Children

Not much later, the American Academy of Pediatric released a report warning against the use of codeine in children (commonly found in cough syrup). The report confirmed prior studies that found an increased risk of harm to children under 18 when taking codeine products. Some children's bodies convert codeine into morphine so quickly that they effectively overdose, experiencing life-threatening breathing problems. The risk was especially high with those children who already have difficulty breathing before taking the medicine. Furthermore, research has found mixed pain-relieving benefit and no evidence of cough-relieving benefit to the medication - the main two reasons it's used.

With cold and flu season approaching, it's important to follow healthy habits to keep your family healthy. Regular hand washing with regular soap is a good idea, along with a healthy diet and activity levels. Supplements or herbs can also help minimize issues and support a healthy immune response, without the side effects and risks. And while a clean environment is good, an antiseptic/sterilized environment is not, so let the kids get dirty once and awhile.

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