Over-the-counter medication use among US preschool-age children

M. D. Kogan, G. Pappas, S. M. Yu and M. Kotelchuck
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782.

OBJECTIVE--To estimate the prevalence of recent over-the-counter (OTC) medication use in a national sample of preschool-age children. DESIGN--Follow-up survey of a nationally representative sample of 3-year-old children in the US population by telephone or personal interview. PARTICIPANTS--A total of 8145 children whose mothers were interviewed for the 1991 Longitudinal Follow-up to the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Report of any OTC medications given in the past 30 days and the type of medications that the child received. RESULTS--During the past 30 days, 53.7% of all 3-year-old children in the United States were given some OTC medications. Among OTC medication users, the most common medications reported were Tylenol (66.7%) and cough or cold medicine (66.7%). Most respondents reported that recent child illness episodes (70%) were treated with OTC medications. After adjustment for recent child illness, women who were white (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.55), were more educated (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.00), and had higher incomes (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.30) were more likely to have given their child OTC medications. Women without health insurance were also more likely to have given OTC medications (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.55). Provider visits, but not telephone calls, were associated with a reduction in OTC medication usage. CONCLUSIONS--Over-the-counter medications are an important component of health care for treating illness in US preschool-age children. The high prevalence of use has occurred despite the dearth of scientific proof for the effectiveness of certain classes of OTC medications and the risks associated with improper use.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Cough and Cold Medication Use by US Children, 1999-2006: Results From the Slone Survey
Vernacchio et al.
Pediatrics 2008;122:e323-e329.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Caregivers' Perspectives When Evaluating Nonprescription Medication Utilization in Children
Eiland et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 2008;47:578-587.
ABSTRACT  

Randomised aspirin assignment and risk of adult-onset asthma in the Women's Health Study
Kurth et al.
Thorax 2008;63:514-518.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Adverse Events From Cough and Cold Medications in Children
Schaefer et al.
Pediatrics 2008;121:783-787.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Accuracy of Oral Liquid Measuring Devices: Comparison of Dosing Cup and Oral Dosing Syringe
Sobhani et al.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2008;42:46-52.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents
Paul et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007;161:1140-1146.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Outcomes in children treated for persistent bacterial bronchitis
Donnelly et al.
Thorax 2007;62:80-84.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nonprescription Medication Use by Infants and Children: Product Labeling Versus Evidence-Based Medicine
Orr et al.
Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2006;19:286-294.
ABSTRACT  

Evaluation and Outcome of Young Children With Chronic Cough
Marchant et al.
Chest 2006;129:1132-1141.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Children's acetaminophen exposures reported to a regional poison control center
Angalakuditi et al.
Am J Health Syst Pharm 2006;63:323-326.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Complementary and alternative medicine for upper-respiratory-tract infection in children
Carr and Nahata
Am J Health Syst Pharm 2006;63:33-39.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Acetaminophen and the Risk of Asthma: The Epidemiologic and Pathophysiologic Evidence
Eneli et al.
Chest 2005;127:604-612.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

"Social Medication" and the Control of Children: A Qualitative Study of Over-the-Counter Medication Among Australian Children
Allotey et al.
Pediatrics 2004;114:e378-e383.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of Dextromethorphan, Diphenhydramine, and Placebo on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents
Paul et al.
Pediatrics 2004;114:e85-e90.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pediatric Cough and Cold Preparations
Kelly
Pediatr. Rev. 2004;25:115-123.
FULL TEXT  

Efficacy and Safety of Echinacea in Treating Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Taylor et al.
JAMA 2003;290:2824-2830.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Childhood illnesses and the use of paracetamol (acetaminophen): a qualitative study of parents' management of common childhood illnesses
Lagerlov et al.
Fam Pract 2003;20:717-723.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Keeping the doctor away
Hueston
BMJ 2003;327:E102-103.
FULL TEXT  

Primary ciliary dyskinesia
Bush et al.
Arch. Dis. Child. 2002;87:363-365.
FULL TEXT  

Comparison of Oral Versus Normal and High-Dose Rectal Acetaminophen in the Treatment of Febrile Children
Scolnik et al.
Pediatrics 2002;110:553-556.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Women's Health After Pregnancy and Child Outcomes at Age 3 Years: A Prospective Cohort Study
Kahn et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2002;92:1312-1318.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment strategies for early presenting acetaminophen overdose: a survey of medical directors of poison centers in North America and Europe
Kozer and McGuigan
Hum Exp Toxicol 2002;21:123-127.
ABSTRACT  

Acute upper airway infections: Childhood respiratory infections
West
Br Med Bull 2002;61:215-230.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Should we advise parents to administer over the counter cough medicines for acute cough? Systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Schroeder and Fahey
Arch. Dis. Child. 2002;86:170-175.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Medications as Social Phenomena
Cohen et al.
Health (London) 2001;5:441-469.
ABSTRACT  

Antibiotics for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: Follow-up Utilization and Antibiotic Use
Hueston et al.
Arch Fam Med 1999;8:426-430.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Association Between Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization and Subsequent Pediatric Care Utilization in the United States
Kogan et al.
Pediatrics 1998;102:25-30.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reliability of health information for the public on the world wide web: systematic survey of advice on managing fever in children at home
Impicciatore et al.
BMJ 1997;314:1875-1875.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

USE OF OTC DRUGS IS COMMON IN YOUNG CHILDREN
JWatch General 1994;1994:4-4.
FULL TEXT