Babies' Health

Following its review of cough and cold medication use in children, the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) no longer advises their use in children under six years of age.

The decision comes soon after a similar conclusion was reached by the FDA in America. In it's letter to healthcare professionals the IMB states that: "These recommendations reflect an evolution in the therapeutic strategy over time for the management of coughs and colds in children rather than the emergence of any new safety concern."

Image 1: Bonjela and Teejel.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK has issued new advice regarding the use of oral pain relief gels containing salicylate salts, such as Bonjela and Teejel. Since April 2009 MHRA no longer recommends the use of such products in children under 16 years of age.

This is in line with its policy on aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) use, which has been associated with a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. In most Reye’s syndrome cases children had a previous viral infection, such as influenza (flu) or chickenpox in addition to being exposed to Aspirin. Reye's syndrome is characterized by acute encephalopathy and fatty liver.

A study published in the May 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry once again confirmed that breastfeeding has many advantages over bottle-feeding for infants, including a boost in IQ.

A recent Danish study looked at the influence of milk intake and milk constituents on intrauterine growth. Results revealed that higher intake of milk during pregnancy is associated with greater infant weight and length at birth.

The composition of milk differs widely between different species, but overall, milk is an excellent source saturated fat, protein, lactose (a type of sugar), calcium and vitamin C. Cow milk is by far the most commonly consumed type of milk in the western world and it contains many potentially growth-promoting factors.

Essential fatty acids are fatty acids which cannot be synthesised by the human body and must therefore be obtained from the diet. Fatty acids are important constituents of cell membranes, affecting their fluidity and functionality and are especially important in the membranes of neurons.

Iron-sufficient infants, who were fed iron-fortified formula scored lower on IQ tests than their peers, who were given a low-iron formula.

The study was conducted on Chilean infants who were not anemic, but were still given iron fortified formula to prevent iron deficiency. They were randomly arranged into two groups, receiving either iron-fortified formula (12 mg/L ferrous sulfate) or low-iron formula (2.3 mg/L ferrous sulfate) for a year, from 6 months of age.