Antihistamines found in some cold and flu tablets linked to an increased risk of seizures in kids

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-29 01:00

International

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Older antihistamines, which are found in some nighttime cold and flu tablets, can increase the risk of seizures in young children, according to Korean research. The study looked at kids who had visited an emergency department with a seizure and found that prescriptions of a first-generation antihistamine were linked to a 22% higher risk of seizure in children, especially in very young kids aged six months to two years old. The researchers say the findings emphasise the need for caution in prescribing first-generation antihistamines in young children.

Media release

From: JAMA

First-Generation Antihistamines and Seizures in Young Children

About The Study: Prescriptions for first-generation antihistamines were associated with a 22.0% higher seizure risk in children, especially in those ages 6 to 24 months in this cohort study. These findings emphasize the need for careful and judicious prescription of first-generation antihistamines in young children and underline the need for further research to elucidate associations between antihistamine prescriptions and seizure risk.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: CHA University School of Medicine, Republic of Korea

Funder: This research was supported by grant HR22C1605-C from the Korea Health Technology Research and Development Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the Ministry of Health andWelfare, Republic of Korea.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.