Many new parents are given advice from other parents, or even doctors, to have a bottle of Benadryl for kids on hand, just in case of an allergic reaction.
But according to allergists, the medication shouldn?t be used at all to treat allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing or hives because it?and other ?first-generation? antihistamines?pose unnecessary risks to your child?s health.
?These medications have significant side effects,? explains Doug Mack, a Burlington, Ont., paediatric allergist and assistant clinical professor at McMaster University, who is also on the board of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Immunology. That group published a statement on October 1st, 2019 regarding Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and other older antihistamines such as Atarax (hydroxyzine) and chlorpheniramine (found in some over-the-counter children?s cough and cold remedies), reiterating this recommendation (which allergists have actually been making less formally for years) and laying out the scientific evidence behind it. What?s wrong with Benadryl"
Side effects of Benadryl and other first-generation antihistamines include impaired school performance in kids who use it regularly for seasonal allergies, drowsiness, agitation, hallucinations, and?rarely?seizures and even death. For instance, according to a study using data from 2003, that year, in the US, ?there were six reports of fatalities (in children) related to first-generation antihistamine use,? Mack says. When the drug wa...