The Ministry of Education says in the Licensing Criteria for early childhood services that if a parent gives written authority at the beginning of each day for their child to be given medicine such as "cough syrup" which is "used for a specified period of time to treat a specific condition or symptom" then this is okay for staff to do. 

But health authorities warn against the use of cough and cold medicines for children under the age of 6 years- except for those containing only bromhexine or intra-nasal decongestants (such as oxymetazoline and xylometazoline) and these are approved only for children aged over 2 years.

From May of this year you will notice that the labels on cough and cold medicines now state they are not for use in children under 6 years.

Below we share with you:

1. the reasons why
2. some safer alternatives for treating a young child
3. how early childhood service staff may respond if asked to administer a cough medicine - on the one hand they have an obligation to administer the medicine if the parent gives written authority but on the other hand they have a responsibility toward the child for health and safety.

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