Harmful remedies
The review came in response to a recently filed petition by Baltimore city officials, who charged that many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can harm toddlers and preschoolers. Those officials, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, cite evidence that suggests the drugs are not only risky but also don"t work in the very young.
[/align]
[/align][/align]"The basic question is, why should a product be so relentlessly marketed when it"s not safe or effective?" said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore"s health commissioner.
My mother in law and I have argued about this crap for years, as soon as one of the kids gets so much as a runny nose shes pulling a bottle of something out of the medicine cabinet.It never does what it says it will and she doesnt seem to follow dosage insturctions very well believing its harmless.She gets mad when I dont shove it down there throats at home as well.Unless its croup [sp?] or accompanied by a fever I dont worry much about it.
Ive posted before in here I think we are completely overmedicating kids, many times it the doctors themselves that do it.When my first born son was little they had him on so many antibiotics he built a sort of immunity against them, they just quit working for him untill he was kept completely off them for several years alltogether.Dont get me started on the ADD drugs that are handed out every year, I think much of that should be borderline illegal the way theyre prescribed.Many times theyre given out just because parents cant deal with ordinary childlike behavior, I know several kids that do need them, I know many more that dont but are on them anyway.So is this a case of more overmedicating?If they really dont work as described, and could be potentially dangerous, why are there 14 shelves full of them in every store in the country?I know some of you in here have kids, I wont try to tell you what to give them as its not my place, but I did think it appropriate to share the artical and FDAinvestigation with you to help you decide.
Harmful remedies
The review came in response to a recently filed petition by Baltimore city officials, who charged that many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can harm toddlers and preschoolers. Those officials, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, cite evidence that suggests the drugs are not only risky but also don"t work in the very young.
[/align]
[/align][/align]"The basic question is, why should a product be so relentlessly marketed when it"s not safe or effective?" said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore"s health commissioner.
My mother in law and I have argued about this crap for years, as soon as one of the kids gets so much as a runny nose shes pulling a bottle of something out of the medicine cabinet.It never does what it says it will and she doesnt seem to follow dosage insturctions very well believing its harmless.She gets mad when I dont shove it down there throats at home as well.Unless its croup [sp?] or accompanied by a fever I dont worry much about it.
Ive posted before in here I think we are completely overmedicating kids, many times it the doctors themselves that do it.When my first born son was little they had him on so many antibiotics he built a sort of immunity against them, they just quit working for him untill he was kept completely off them for several years alltogether.Dont get me started on the ADD drugs that are handed out every year, I think much of that should be borderline illegal the way theyre prescribed.Many times theyre given out just because parents cant deal with ordinary childlike behavior, I know several kids that do need them, I know many more that dont but are on them anyway.So is this a case of more overmedicating?If they really dont work as described, and could be potentially dangerous, why are there 14 shelves full of them in every store in the country?I know some of you in here have kids, I wont try to tell you what to give them as its not my place, but I did think it appropriate to share the artical and FDAinvestigation with you to help you decide.
Maybe I shouldn't say anything here, cause both my boys are on ADHD meds, and I have first hand experience in this. But you know what, Teachers won't deal with the kids either!so that said, I do agree with the overmedication of kids, especially when it comes to anitbiotics, however, when it effects their education, and you can't get the school personel to cooperate with you, and cause your kid is either going 90 to nothing, or cannot absoultely sit still for even 30 seconds, to concentrate at a task, they throw them out of class, cause they don't want to deal with it, and put them in a room where they get NO guidence or education, but discipline for their behavior, Somethings gotta give! You nor I can sit with that child and control him during class, the school will NOT allow this, nor will your boss to whom you are dedicated to work for. Both my boysare extremely intelligent, both have differant symptoms of ADHD, and both were failing before going on meds, My youngest last year, got straight F's, guess what, the school system passed him to the next grade. My wife and I were furious! Not only because of the straight F's, (in which when we went over the homework with him, he got it, he would get straight A's, but in the classroom, without our guidence, he got straight F's.) but because of the school to push him to the next grade so they wouldn't get a red mark against them with the state, for no child left behind!!!! We decided over the summer to try the meds, He's so far this year he's an almost straight A kid. Is it the meds? Is it a differant teacher? Is it a differant school? (he's moved into middle school now) I don't know! But I do know he is getting better grades. Which surprises me, since the school couldn't educate him, my wife and I did, and since he's getting A's now, That tells me he learned something . That's there is good enough for me.
__________________
"If we don't end war, war will end us!"
H.G. Wells 1935
Mastevt, I already said theres a place for them and kids that do need them.
Quote:
I know several kids that do need them, I know many more that dont but are on them anyway.
I was on them myself when I was a youngster, I was also just as you describe your kids going from 90 to nothing, bad grades in school when i was actually at a higher education level then most of my classmates etc...
I also know parents that have put all thier children on them for no reason other then they dont want to deal with them.The kids are zombies, they started them so young it actually affected thier learning basic skills such as learning to speak, put sentences together, etc...Theres no way in hell at 2 yrs of age they can define ADHD with any accuracy but the doctors will prescribe the stuff anyway even at that age.
They get a pill when they get up, they get another one so theyll take a nap in the afternoon and they get one so the parents dont have to deal with trying to calm them down for bedtime.These arent even school age kids.
They advertise the disorder at such a level now that even Ive wondered if my kids have it, and they make a fortune prescribing the drugs for it, its an easy out for the doctors to write a prescription for it when they dont want to deal with what amounts to bad parenting and not bad kids.As I said, I dont know your kids and cant make the call on what to give them, if yours are falling into the category of ADHD and youve noticed improvement with the drugs thats great, but it doesnt change the fact theres thousands of kids taking speed for no reason at all in this country.
That is a very interesting article and something every parent of young children should strongly consider. It will be interesting to see what the FDA decides after their meeting in october.
__________________
Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
"They get a pill when they get up, they get another one so theyll take a nap in the afternoon and they get one so the parents dont have to deal with trying to calm them down for bedtime.These arent even school age kids. "
Your absoulutely right on that one, and it aint right, young kids need redirection, not discipline. However, as they age, and maturaty levelsincrease, and they know the differance between right and wrong, there's nothing wrong with a little discipline. But parents (some that is)are unwilling to stand up to the kids and set them straight. Maybe it's society thats causing it, but back in my day, when I got out of line, I felt it from dad!
They advertise the disorder at such a level now that even Ive wondered if my kids have it, and they make a fortune prescribing the drugs for it, its an easy out for the doctors to write a prescription for it when they dont want to deal with what amounts to bad parenting and not bad kids.As I said, I dont know your kids and cant make the call on what to give them, if yours are falling into the category of ADHD and youve noticed improvement with the drugs thats great, but it doesnt change the fact theres thousands of kids taking speed for no reason at all in this country. "
It's all about money here, not the kids. The drug companies push this on the doctors, who inturn push it on the families. Get the kids outside, get them involved with something, anything, except the tv, and their darn video games. There are so many differant levels of ADHD/ADD and the symptoms to go with them it's easiy for people to say "you know, that's our kid, or that's just what my kid does" so they put them on the meds. We went thru 4 agonizing years with Brandon, and 3 with Trevor, before we turned to our family doc. I agree theres probably lots of kids out there that don't need to be on the meds. But on the other hand, how many out there that are suffering everday, families, not just the kids, that this effects. And why is it that it is more prevalent now, and not 20 years ago? Personally, I think it's in our food system. Something, is changing the way kids are, and it effects in many differant ways. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 44, and when I was in middle school, (back then it was jr high) 12 & 13 year old girls didn't have chests like the girls down at your local Hooters resturant!
As for the teachers, there are good one's out there, and there are some that shouldn't be in the system. And I hope I haven't offended Burnie or Chuck. But I believe teachers have had alot of discipline powers taken away from them, and that's sad. Kids (older ones)will respect their teachers better if they know their gonna get discipline. As for the younger ones, like I said, they need more re-direction more than anything else.
__________________
"If we don't end war, war will end us!"
H.G. Wells 1935
The ADHD thing is one reason we homeschool our kids. If my oldest boy went to school they would shoot him with a tranquilizer dart everyday at dropoff. He's very bright (learned to read at 3), but the is no way he's going to sit still as long as they want. Besides, we live in Louisiana, so the kid's better off with us teaching him anyway.
As for cough medicine, I have found that a couple of fingers of Jack Daniel's works as well as anything from the drugstore, plus they sleep really well.
Good thing that paragoric is not legal today. Back in the 40s a sick, cranky kid was declared "cholicy", given a good dose of paregoric and immediately dropped off to sleep. They outlawed the stuff sometime in the 50s or 60s.
Good thing that paragoric is not legal today. Back in the 40s a sick, cranky kid was declared "cholicy", given a good dose of paregoric and immediately dropped off to sleep. They outlawed the stuff sometime in the 50s or 60s.
Funny you should mention that falcon. My grandmother and great-aunt were here to see my newborn and they mentioned one of their relatives always giving their own kids paragoric (said the house had empty paragoric bottles everywhere...and the kids were always asleep[>:]) Crazy. But that was part of some lives way back in the day...back up in the hills. I think ignorance back then played a bigger role in poor parenting. Now I think when it comes to medication,SOME may be moreattributed to paranoia or laziness of the parentsor even an agenda fueled by the drug companies.
I just watched "60 minutes" and they were interveiwing some harvard professor who was determining that many toddlers were bipolar. Some were on half a dozen medicines or more by the age of 3 or 4....MOST of that is BS if you ask me.
__________________
Looney tunes deductive reasoning:
--Me smell Mohican burning
--Me last Mohican
--Must be me!!!
--EEEOOOWWW!!!!!
No cough meds for kids
