| Vicks Vaporub Harmful for your kids & you
MUMBAI: The recent controversy over the use of Vicks VapoRub on toddlers comes as no surprise to the city's medical fraternity. Medical practitioners say it is common
FDA had banned cough syrups for children as well.
"It is common knowledge that any menthol-based product is harmful to a child below the age of two. Vicks VapoRub just happens to be a popular brand,'' Khosla said.
P&G officials said that the product's label already warns against its use on children below the age of two. The label also states that the ointment should not be used inside the nostrils, the officials added.
Concerned parents made frantic calls to their doctors on Wednesday after reading the front-page report.
P D Hinduja Hospital consultant pediatrician Nitin Shah said the effectiveness of Vicks VapoRub and other similar products was not scientifically proven.
"These products are available over the counter and are not regulated by the medical fraternity. They may be effective to an extent for older people but the strong vapour of the menthol can irritate a child's respiratory system,'' he said. He added that often parents perceive a child's stuffy nose for a cold and use home remedies or the ever-reliable Vicks VapoRub.
Vicks VapoRub has been a one-stop solution for cold-related problems for a long time now, but there are other ways to deal with cold or congestion in toddlers, said doctors. A senior doctor at J J Hospital said it was best to let the infection run its course. "Any infection will take a few days to heal and parents should wait for the cold to pass in toddlers,'' he said.
Doctors recommend the use of nasal saline drops,
which are easily available in the market . Putting a
drop or two of saline in the child's nose can work
wonders, said medical practitioners. They also
recommended stepping up the amount of fluids being
given to a child and maintaining a warm temperature
in the house to ease stuffiness.
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