The Centre has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories regarding the rational use of cough syrups in children. The Union Health Ministry has recommended that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children below two years of age. It further stated that such medicines are generally not advised for children under five, and their use in older children should follow careful clinical evaluation with close supervision, appropriate dosing, and avoidance of multiple drug combinations.

The Ministry has sent letters to the Directors of Health Services in all States and UTs, urging them to implement and disseminate the advisory across government dispensaries, district hospitals, and medical institutions. It emphasized that most acute cough illnesses in children are self-limiting and often resolve without medication.

The advisory comes in the wake of recent reports linking child deaths in Madhya Pradesh to cough syrup consumption. A joint investigation team from the National Centre for Disease Control, National Institute of Virology, and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation visited the affected sites and collected various samples. Tests confirmed that none of the samples contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG), chemicals known to cause severe kidney damage.

Similarly, the Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration tested three samples and found no presence of DEG or EG. In Rajasthan, where two child deaths were reported, the Ministry clarified that the cough syrup involved did not contain Propylene Glycol, a potential source of contaminants like DEG or EG.

The Health Ministry has requested all State and UT Health Departments, district authorities, and clinical establishments to follow the advisory strictly to ensure child safety.