British Parents Warned on Cough Remedies

British regulators have ordered the removal of six over-the-counter cough medicines from store shelves to keep them from being used by young children.

The government has ordered other cough medicines to be relabeled with warnings against their use by children under 2, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said the medicines are not effective for young children. That may tempt parents to give children too much, officials said.

It is not a panic measure, it is a precaution, a spokeswoman for the agency said. Some of these products have been on the shelves for 40 years and we have not had as many adverse reactions as the Americans have.

The agency suggested that parents return to home remedies like honey for young children or to single-ingredient remedies like ibuprofen.