By Admin 
The Central Government has issued advisory on the concerns about the possibility of death of children due to consumption of cough medicines (phlegm syrup) in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Apart from this, the central and state agencies also jointly investigated. Investigation has confirmed that poisonous chemicals are not present in the syrup.
Do not give phlegm syrup to children under 2 years of age
The central government has said that indiscriminate use of phlegm syrup in children can prove to be dangerous. Keeping this in mind, DGHS of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that children below two years of age should not be given phlegm syrup.
Center and state agencies investigated
Investigations so far have confirmed that toxic chemical dietaline glycol (DEG) or ethylene glycol (EG) is not present in cough drugs. These chemicals are considered to be the cause of severe kidney damage. In the case of Madhya Pradesh, the team of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) went on the spot and investigated.
Many samples were collected with the help of state authorities, including Kapha syrup of various companies. According to the test report, the presence of DEG or EG was not found in any sample. At the same time, Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has also confirmed this by examining three samples.
Two deaths in Rajasthan
Apart from this, blood/CSF samples of children were examined in NIV Pune, one of which was found to be a case leptospirosis positive. At the same time, investigation of water, mosquito -borne carriers and respiratory samples is still going on. The deaths of two children in Rajasthan were said to be associated with cough medicine. However, the investigation has revealed that the relevant drug did not have propylene glycol, which is considered a possible source of poisonous adulteration like DEG or EG.
It has also been revealed that the concerned drug is dextromethorphon based, which is not recommended to be used in children. The investigation team consists of NCDC, NIV, ICMR, AIIMS Nagpur and state health officers, which are investigating all possible causes.