The Ministry of Health is warning parents to keep cough and cold medicines away from children under two.
The Ministry is also advising parents to be careful when giving cough syrup to older children.
Medsafe interim manager Dr Stewart Jessamine issued the warning on Friday, following warnings in the United States.
An expert review that was completed late last year, found no evidence that cough and cold medicines reduce the symptoms of cough and colds in children.
The Medsafe and Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee (MARC) have also reviewed reports from the United States of deaths and serious side effects from accidental overdoses that occurred in children under two.
The following active ingredients are currently used in cough and cold medicines in New Zealand:
Expectorants (medicines that help a person cough up mucus): - guaifenesin Mucolytics (medicines that dissolve or disperse mucus) - bromhexine
Decongestants (medicines that shrink swollen membranes in the nose): - pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine
Cough suppressants (medicines that act to suppress cough reflex): - dextromethorphan and pholcodine
Sedating antihistamines (drugs that block some of the reaction to histamines produced in the body eg clear blocked nose - these drugs frequently cause sleepiness):
- doxylamine, brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, tripolidine, promethazine and diphenhydramine (NB this is also a cough suppressant)
There have been no similar reports in New Zealand, but the National Poisons Centre has received calls about overdoses of cough and cold medicines in children under two that have required medical attention.
Based on the evidence of harm and no apparent benefit, the MARC is recommending that these medicines should not be given to young children.
In line with action taken in the United States, Medsafe is trying to strengthen the current warnings to indicate that these medicines must not be used in children under two years under any circumstance.
Currently most labels for over-the-counter cough and cough medicines advise against use in children under two years except upon medical advice.
There is no cure for the common cold, Mr Jessamine said in a press release.
"Children will usually recover from coughs and colds in time on their own. The common cold is a mild, viral infection that can be managed by rest, sufficient fluid intake and comfort measures."
Medsafe is the Ministry of Health's drug regulatory arm. Medsafe assesses all medicines for their safety and effectiveness.
It is estimated that there are more than 100 cough and cold medicines available in New Zealand.
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