Vicks VapoRub can harm children under 2

[411man]

I'm new here and so if this topic needs to be moved I invite the mods to do so.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090113/hl_ ... s_children

 

 

Vicks VapoRub can harm children under 2

 

By Julie Steenhuysen Julie Steenhuysen Tue Jan 13, 12:29 am ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Vicks VapoRub, a common cold remedy, can cause respiratory distress in children under 2 when inappropriately applied directly under the nose, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

 

They said using the Procter & Gamble Co product in this way can cause a young child's tiny airways to swell and fill with mucus, triggering severe breathing problems.

 

"The only problem we've seen is in a small child when it has been put under the nose," Dr. Bruce Rubin of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, said in a telephone interview.

 

Rubin said the ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway. And since infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of an adult, any increase in mucus or swelling can narrow them severely.

 

"The company is really clear it should never go under the nose or in the nose for anybody and it shouldn't be used in children under 2," said Rubin, whose study appears in the journal Chest.

 

While the researchers only tested the Vicks product, Rubin said similar products, including generic versions, could cause the same negative effects in infants and toddlers.

 

Rubin and his colleagues began looking at use of the medication after treating an 18-month-old girl who developed respiratory distress after the salve was put under her nose.

 

They studied ferrets, which have an airway anatomy similar to humans. In the animals with a chest infection, the product increased mucus secretion and decreased the animal's ability to clear mucus.

 

"We were able to document changes that we think explain this," Rubin said.

 

David Bernens, a spokesman for P&G, said the finding came as a surprise. "Vicks VapoRub has been proven safe and effective through multiple clinical trials. It has been in the market for over 100 years," Bernens said, noting that the label says the product should not be used in children under age 2 without a doctor's advice, and not under the nose.

 

"We warn people not to do that," he said.

 

Since the initial episode, emergency doctors at the medical center have begun asking all parents of children in respiratory distress if they used the Vicks product in a similar way and they have seen two more cases, Rubin said.

 

"I recommend never putting Vicks in, or under, the nose of anybody -- adult or child," Rubin said in a statement, adding that he would never use it in a child under age 2.

 

Dr. James Mathers, president of the American College of Chest Physicians, said in a statement that parents should consult their doctor before giving any over-the-counter medication to infants and young children, particularly cough and cold medications, which can be harmful.

 

(Editing by Maggie Fox)

 

 

 

end quote.

 

This is one of those situations where lots of experience has failed to result in the listed occurances.

[Fullpantry]

Well good grief! Get ready for the Vick's to be put behind the pharmacy counter or taken off the shelf "For our own good"

I may have to add a bunch more to my stockpile today!!! We couldn't live through cold and flu season without Vicks!!!!

[blestmomof4]

LOVELOVELOVE my VICKS!!!!! I have always used it on my kids who are sensitive to most other things. I put it on their chests, backs, and feet. I have put the smallest amount on my nose and under it and it has helped me breath easier at times. When the kids were smaller I got a cherry scented vicks that wasn't quite as strong and they really liked that one.

[Mother]

Does anyone know if they have changed the formula? Like the others, we used vicks on our kids numerous times with no problems. It's my findings that when these problems start to occur it is usually because they have put something new in it, usually something nowadays that saves them money but makes us pay more.

 

If you haven't bought any for a while, before you stock up, you might want to make sure it is the SAME vicks you've always used.

 

Perhaps we should look into ways to make our own Vicks formula.

 

[zzelle]

i have used it too i wonder if it has changed

[Violet]

My daughter just used some on my grandson's chest. He broke out in a rash from it.

This is the truth... my mom used to make me EAT Vicks when I had a cold or sore throat. Seriously, she did !

It says right on the jar to not ingest it. She told me that they had changed it. I have no idea, but I still remember what it tastes like.

 

[JCK88]

Ohhh Violet..my mother did the same thing with the Vicks!! It wasn't toxic then. After all, we all lived through it. But...I will not use Vicks to this day--and the smell of it makes me sick.

You know, I got really sick with bronchitis when I was 19 and an old country doctor told me to toss out all the pills I had been taking from other doctors and he gave me a mixture of pine stuff to put in hot water and breathe over. I would boil it, hold a towel over my head, and breath in the steam. That did more to break up that stubborn bronchitis than anything else we had tried.

[Grace&Violets]

It has said all along on the jar that it is not for kids under 2. When my kids were under 2, I just put it on the soles of their feet and never under their nose. Or just a very thin coat on their chest under their jammies. Plus, they have a new Vicks made especially for the little ones. Blah! I'm not letting stuff like this change what I do when I know that it helps and it's perfectly safe. Dh's grandmother used to put menthl crystals in a cloth and pin it to the kids' pjs. Worked wonders.

[Granny]

Appears to be same formula as always.

 

Quote:

Created by a North Carolina pharmacist when his children came down with chest colds over 100 years ago, Vicks VapoRub still uses his original formula of menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, thymol and turpentine oil suspended in a beeswax base. He used this rather than the petroleum bases used in other products because it is easily absorbed by the skin, therefore far less messy than many other ointments. Each of the active ingredients is an effective decongestant alone. Together, they are a super plumber for the stopped up nasal passages.

 

 

[Homebody]

My mother and grandmother use to melt a teaspoon of the stuff and make us drink it. YUCK! I'm still here and I never got sick from it but I will not use the stuff to this day!

[Leah]

The only change I can see is in the inactive ingredients: special petrolatum

 

I assume that's petroleum jelly. I see no mention of beeswax, any more.

http://www.vicks.com/products/vaporub

Regular

Active Ingredients (Purpose)

Camphor 4.8% (Cough suppressant and topical analgesic)

Eucalyptus oil 1.2% (Cough suppressant)

Menthol 2.6% (Cough suppressant and topical analgesic)

 

Lemon

Active Ingredients (Purpose)

Camphor 4.7% (Cough suppressant and topical analgesic)

Eucalyptus oil 1.2% (Cough suppressant)

Menthol 2.6% (Cough suppressant and topical analgesic)

 

Inactive Ingredients

Regular: Cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, special petrolatum, thymol, turpentine oil

 

Lemon: Cedarleaf oil, lemon fragrance, nutmeg oil, special petrolatum, thymol, turpentine oil

[Violet]

Guess I am not the only one who had to eat Vicks. Hey, we even lived to tell about it.

 

[blestmomof4]

I would prefer that it had the beeswax. Probably cheaper to make it with petrolatum but I always like products with more natural/safe ingredients.

 

bb

[Snowmom]

 

I have always been able to use 'Vicks VapoRub' myself, but, our kids were not able to use it at all.

 

When our DD was only about 2 years old, she spent the night at one of my sisters. My sister didn't realize she couldn't use it and put some on her. My sister spent the night up with her as she was having problems breathing. So, yes, it can be very bad on some kids.

 

I do keep it on hand, but, haven't had to use it in a very long time.

 

[DenimDaze]

My Doctor recommended this for my infant(2years ago )

 

Vicks Baby Rub

 

ingredients:Petroleum,fragrance, aloe extract, eucalyptus oil, lavendar oil, rosemary oil.

 

It smells nice, it doesn't have that overwhelming odor that the normal stuff has.

[skiffgirl]

Has anyone ever tried the essential oil blend by young living called RC. I use it because I break out from vicks and I like more natural stuff anyway. My friend uses it on her daughter also. She just rubs it on the bottoms of her feet or if she needs to rub it on her chest she puts it in a carrier olive oil. It works great and smell much like vicks to me. This is what it says on their site.

 

R.C.

R.C. is an antiseptic blend of four different eucalyptus essential oils.

R.C. also includes other oils that are used in nutritional products to support the respiratory system.*

How to use: Diffuse in living areas and workplace. Use in a humidifier. Apply on chest, neck, ears, and bottom of feet. Use with a compress on chest and back. Alternate with Raven.

Ingredients: Eucalyptus globulus, E. radiata, E. australiana, E. citriodora, myrtle (Myrtus communis), marjoram (Origanum majorana), pine (Pinus sylvestris), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), spruce (Picea mariana), and peppermint (Mentha piperita).