After infant deaths in MP, Centre urges states to avoid cough syrups for toddlers

New Delhi: The Centre has directed all states and Union Territories not to prescribe cough and cold syrups to children under two years, following reports of child deaths allegedly linked to contaminated medicines in Madhya Pradesh.

The advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Union Health Ministry, has called for judicious and rational use of cough medications in children, stressing that most such illnesses are self-limiting and do not require drug intervention.

No Diethylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol found

Amid growing concern, the Union Health Ministry confirmed that none of the cough syrup samples tested in Madhya Pradesh contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG) — chemical contaminants known to cause serious kidney injury.

A joint team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) collected and examined the samples from the affected districts.

The Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) also conducted independent testing of three samples, confirming the absence of DEG and EG.

Further investigations by NIV Pune, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), and other agencies are underway. A preliminary finding revealed one child tested positive for Leptospirosis, officials said.

DGHS warns against routine use of syrups

The DGHS advisory clearly states that cough syrups are generally not recommended for children below five years of age.

For older children, it advised careful clinical evaluation, strict adherence to prescribed dosage, short treatment duration, and avoidance of multiple drug combinations.

“Most acute cough illnesses in children resolve on their own. Non-drug measures such as adequate hydration, rest, and supportive care should be the first line of management,” the advisory said.

Call for Quality assurance and sensitisation

All healthcare facilities and clinical establishments have been directed to ensure that medicines are procured from manufacturers following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and formulated with pharmaceutical-grade excipients.

The DGHS urged state and district health authorities to sensitise prescribers and dispensers across both public and private sectors on rational prescribing.

The advisory, issued by Dr. Sunita Sharma, calls for wide dissemination through government hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, and medical colleges.

Rajasthan cases under review

In a related development, the ministry responded to reports of two child deaths in Rajasthan allegedly linked to contaminated syrups.

It clarified that the product in question did not contain Propylene Glycol, another possible source of contamination.

The syrup was a Dextromethorphan-based formulation, which is not recommended for paediatric use, the ministry said.

Expert teams probing multiple causes

A multi-disciplinary team comprising experts from the NCDC, NIV, ICMR, AIIMS-Nagpur, and state health authorities has been deployed to investigate all possible causes behind the reported deaths.

The ministry said further updates would be shared as laboratory analyses and field investigations progress.