Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. – FDA is carefully evaluating prescription opioid medications approved to treat cough in children

There ’ s perhaps no more important mandate that we have at the FDA than safeguarding the health and safety of children. For that reason, I believe it ’ s important that parents and health care providers have the best information available to inform the decisions they make about a child ’ s health. There are few more common decisions that parents and providers are asked to make than the question of how to appropriately treat a child ’ s cough and cold symptoms. Sometimes symptoms can be severe enough that prescription medication is needed, but some of these medications pose their own risks – especially for younger children – because they may contain opioids. Other times medication might not be necessary at all.
Source: Food and Drug Administration - Category: American Health Source Type: news