Stop giving codeine and tramadol to children - FDA warns

The Food and Drug Administration says medications
containing codeine or tramadol should not be given to
children. The body also warns that these drugs could cause

serious risks including difficulty in breathing and death.
The agency announced the new restrictions on the
medications on Thursday April 20, 2017 in a statement that
reads,
'these medications carry serious risks, including
slowed or difficult breathing and death, which appear
to be a greater risk in children younger than 12 years,
and should not be used in these children'.
The labels of all prescription medications containing codeine
or tramadol will now restrict their use in children under 12
and recommend against their use in children between 12 and
18 years of age.
Additionally, the FDA recommends breastfeeding mothers not
take these medications due to the risk of serious adverse
reactions in breastfed infants.
However, the FDA did not restrict over-the-counter
medications containing codeine, such as flu and cold
medications or cough syrups, which are available without a
prescription.