A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics (J Pediatr. 2003; 143 (3): 377-385) found that children taking antihistamines are slower to clear ear infections than children who are not taking antihistamines. Children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years with ear infections were studied. Children who took antihistamines during the time that their ears were infected were slower to clear the middle ear fluid caused by the ear infection, than were children who did not take antihistamines.

Many parents give their children over the counter medicines when they have colds. These medicines can contain decongestants, cough suppressants, fever reducers and antihistamines. No over the counter cold medicines are helpful in shortening the time that a child is sick or preventing secondary infections such as ear infections, sinus infections or pneumonia. Now we know that at least one ingredient of many cold medicines can actually be harmful.

Antihistamines are often put in cold medicines to relieve “stuffy nose.” Actually, they do help decrease mucous caused by allergies, but they don’t help colds at all. They do make children sleepy and some parents use cold medicines to help their child sleep at night when they have a cold. This study suggests that the short term benefit of a sleepier child, may not be worth the longer term effect of prolonged ear infection.

Commonly used cold medicine ingredients which are antihistamines include chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, and brompheniramine.

Based on this new study, we now know that using some over the counter cold medicines when children have colds, may have an unhealthy side-effect. It makes sense to avoid the use of antihistamines during colds. We discourage the use of any over the counter cold medicines, because they have very little positive effect. We strongly discourage the use of any over the counter cold medicines which contain antihistamines.