Children’s Robitussin and Dimetapp Recalled—Here’s What Parents Need to Know
Check your medicine cabinets.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc
If you have cough medicine for your kids, it’s time to check your cabinet because two brands are recalling some versions of their children’s meds.
According to a recall notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration's website, GlaxoSmithKline has issued a voluntary recall for select "Children's Robitussin Honey Cough and Chest Congestion DM" and "Children's Dimetapp Cold and Cough" because they include "incorrect dosing cups."
Due to the incorrect markers, very different scenarios could play out if a parent were to give their children the wrong dose. Taking too much cough medicine can be toxic for kids and lead to a long list of dangerous side effects, including impaired coordination, dizziness, seizure, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea and abdominal pain to name a few. However, taking too little means the medicine would be ineffective and parents may feel they need to give their children more, leading to overdosing.
The recall notice goes on to say that the dosage cups for the Children's Robitussin are missing lines for the 5-milliliter and 10-milliliter graduations, and the cups for Children's Dimetapp are missing the 10-milliliter graduation. However, the cups for both products had the 20-milliliter graduation.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of overdosing or adverse effects from the medicine, and the FDA and the company are asking parents to check the lot numbers for both brands.
The recalled lots were distributed across the United States between February 5, 2020, and June 3, 2020. You can find the lot numbers on the medicine boxes and the bottles. The lots include:
- Lots "02177" and "02178" for Children's Robitussin Honey Cough and Chest Congestion DM (4 ounces), expiring January 2022.
- Lot "CL8292" for Children's Dimetapp Cold and Cough (8 ounces), expiring September 2021.
The FDA is asking that if consumers have questions about the recall, they should call 1-800-762-4675 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
