Parents should not give their children cough medicine or syrup - medical expert

Medical experts has advised parents not to give their children cough medicines or syrup because it is toxic.

According to a senior British doctor, Dr Oliver Bevington, parents should use honey and lemon.

Dr Oliver warned over-the-counter treatments may not work and the ingredients could have side-effects or be toxic in large doses.

He also said many included paracetamol which could lead to parents unintentionally overdosing their children.

There is absolutely no evidence that cough medicines work as there has been very little research with regards to their use, said Dr Bevington, chairman of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s trainees’ committee.

And, potentially, they could actually do the children more harm than good.

He added that parents should stick to “old-fashioned honey and lemon, rest, lots of fluids and paracetamol and/or ibuprofen as per the pack instructions”

But the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, representing manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines, said many cough products were suitable for kids and reduced symptoms.