Karnataka Bans Cough, Cold Syrups For Children Under 2 Years After Deaths In Other States

Bengaluru:
The Karnataka Health Department on Monday issued an advisory prohibiting the prescription and sale of cough and cold syrups to children below two years of age, following reports of child deaths linked to cough syrup consumption in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In a circular dated October 5, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) directed all health authorities, hospitals, stockists, distributors, and retailers to recall and stop sales of certain syrups associated with the fatalities.

Linked Cases in Other States

The advisory cited the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh after consuming Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13), manufactured by a Tamil Nadu-based pharma unit, which has since been banned in that state.
Similarly, several deaths in Rajasthan were linked to Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup IP, made by Kaysons Pharma, Jaipur.

Statewide Precautions

The Karnataka government has directed enforcement officers to maintain strict vigilance, and all healthcare institutions—government and private—have been ordered to follow the new advisory.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the substandard syrups linked to deaths were not supplied in Karnataka, and no such cases have been reported so far.

“As a precaution, samples of all cough syrup brands are being collected and tested. So far, none of the banned batches have entered Karnataka,” Mr. Rao said in Hassan.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed officials to thoroughly investigate and ensure the safety of paediatric medicines in the state.

Guidelines For Doctors

According to the advisory:

• Cough and cold syrups should not be prescribed to children under 2 years.
• For children aged 2–5 years, such medicines should be used only if clearly indicated after proper clinical evaluation.
• For older children, lowest effective doses should be prescribed for short durations only.
• Multi-drug combinations, oral bronchodilators, and unnecessary cough suppressants should be strictly avoided.

The department advised non-pharmacological care—including hydration, rest, and nutrition—as the primary approach to managing mild coughs in young children.

Enforcement and Compliance

Authorities have warned that random inspections will be conducted to ensure compliance. Any violations, including irrational prescriptions, over-the-counter sales, or use of unapproved drug combinations, will attract action under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

All adverse events or suspected syrup-related illnesses must be reported on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.