A new study has recently revealed that Vicks VapoRub, a popular cold remedy, could cause airway inflammation leading to breathing problems in infants and toddlers.
Doctors at Wake Forest University conducted the study after they had treated an 18-month-old girl who had suffered from severe respiratory distress after the salve had been put directly under her nose in order to abate cold symptoms.
Lead researcher Dr. Bruce K. Rubin, professor and vice chair for research at Wake Forest’s Department of Pediatrics, stated the product’s label read that the salve was not to be put in the nose or used to relieve cold symptoms in children under the age of two, adding that when they had stopped all the medicine, the girl had recovered rapidly.
Moreover, Rubin said that while where adults were concerned, VapoRub could make them believe they were feeling better without actually having any impact on their colds, in children, since it could cause inflammation, it could also lead to them developing other health issues.
For their study, researchers used ferrets in order to determine whether VapoRub was linked to breathing problems, because the animals have similar airways to human airways.
The experiment showed that Vicks VapoRub increased mucus production by as much as 59 percent, while it reduced the ability to clear mucus by 36 percent.
David Bernens, a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble, the makers of Vicks VapoRub, stated that only one incident that involved one child could not be used to draw the conclusion that the product was not safe, adding that when used as directed, VapoRub posed no threats.
Nevertheless, Dr. James A. L. Mathers Jr., president of the American College of Chest Physicians, issued a recommendation for parents in an association news release, urging them to consult with a doctor before giving their children over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
In addition, he also informed that the American College of Chest Physicians, along with several other health-care organizations had already come to the conclusion that OTC cold and cough medicines might harm infants and young children.
Consequently, back in October, major manufacturers and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines were only recommended to children over the age of 4.
Speaking of the VapoRub salve, Dr. Daniel Craven, a pediatric pulmonologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, said that the product should not be used by children, because it lacked medical value and it could harm also them.
Craven added that previous research had not brought forth any evidence that Vicks VapoRub entailed any respiratory benefits and that doctors had tried to convince parents not to use it or other similar therapies to treat a cold.
Now, with the new study, even though limited, he believes that ineffectiveness might not be the biggest issue raised by VapoRub, but the fact that it could also cause respiratory problems, especially when applied directly under the nose.
