NEW DELHI: After months of debate, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on Thursday warning parents against giving over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines to children under 2 years, because of "serious and potentially life-threatening side effects".

Doctors say the FDA warning should be taken seriously in India because there are few controls on the sale of medicines and most, including cough syrups, are available without prescription.

"We have cases where serious side-effects in tiny tots have occurred due to misuse and overuse of cough and cold drugs. Specifically for children, any dose which exceeds the prescribed limit can cause sedation, and occasionally be lethal," says Dr Sanjeev Bagai of Rockland Hospital. "There are serious side-effects of medicines globally banned like phenyl propano-lamine (PPA) that have been associated with causing cardio-vascular events, intraventricular haemorrhage and strokes," he said.

Agrees Dr C M Gulhati, editor of medical journal, MIMs. "There is hardly any scientific evidence to show the efficacy of cough and cold cures. Also, they contain dangerous ingredients such as PPA which is globally banned, and an overdose of which may lead to serious side-effects such as respiratory distress, drowsiness and stroke."

All cough is not treated with the same kind of medicine, as there are different ingredients for different causes, industry experts say, adding even doctors are prescribing these remedies. Though the advisory for tiny-tots has been issued, there is still a debate on whether these cough and cold cures should be given to children above two years of age.