The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging parents and health providers to stop giving codeine to children, calling for more education about its risks and restrictions on its use in patients under 18 years of age (Pediatrics 2016 Oct 19. [Epub ahead of print]).
Despite growing evidence linking the common painkiller to life-threatening or fatal breathing reactions, the drug is still being used in pediatric settings, the AAP report said.