Children under 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, US drug companies said Tuesday in a concession to pediatricians who doubt the drugs work in kids and worry about their safety. The voluntary changes came less than a week after federal health officials said they also saw little evidence that the drugs work, but feared that parents would give kids adult medicines if the products were taken off store shelves. In addition, the drug makers said they will add a warning to their products that parents should not give children antihistamines to make them sleepy. These are allergy-relief medications often found in medicines that combine several ingredients to treat a variety of symptoms.
