BHOPAL/JAIPUR: The recent deaths of 12 children in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Rajasthan due to complications linked to cough syrups have triggered alarm, prompting the Centre to issue an advisory on prohibiting the prescription of cold and cough medications to children under the age of two. This guidance was disseminated on Friday by the Directorate General of Health Services to all states and Union Territories.
The Union health ministry reported that none of the cough syrup samples collected from MP contained diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol — toxins associated with severe kidney damage — following reports indicating a connection between the children’s deaths and cough syrup consumption. Despite the negative findings from these samples, the investigation into the cause of the children’s renal failure remains inconclusive.
In Chhindwara district, nine children have died over the past month, with five others receiving specialized treatment in Nagpur, Maharashtra, according to district collector Harendra Narayan Singh. Health officials stated that of the 19 cough syrup samples analyzed by both Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and state teams, nine showed no signs of contamination. The remaining 10 samples, including two brands that have been banned as a precautionary measure, are still pending analysis.
The health department is awaiting detailed forensic and biochemical assessments to reach a final conclusion. Most cases were reported in Parasia and nearby villages, where children under the age of five initially exhibited symptoms such as cold and mild fever. After receiving the cough syrup along with routine medications, their conditions deteriorated, leading to reduced urine output and kidney complications.
In Rajasthan, three children have died in the past week, with several others presenting complications after taking cough syrup distributed through the state government’s free medicine scheme. While the state health department maintains that the deaths are not linked to the cough syrup, they have temporarily halted its distribution pending further investigation.
A five-year-old boy from Sikar district died on September 29 after his health worsened post-administration of the cough syrup, with another death reported from Bharatpur. At least five additional children in these districts have shown similar symptoms, including vomiting and drowsiness. Furthermore, a two-and-a-half-year-old child from Weir town in Bharatpur died on September 27 at Jaipur’s JK Lone Hospital after being prescribed Amodroxol cough syrup.
Although the family asserts that the child’s death was due to the cough syrup, a fact-finding report indicates that the boy may have had a previous history of febrile seizures, which frequently accompany fever and viral infections in young children. The health department is also investigating reports from Banswara, where children began to experience complications after consuming cough syrup between September 16 and September 30.
Since 2012, 10,119 samples of medications produced by Kaysans Pharma, which supplied the dextromethorphan-based cough syrup implicated in the deaths, have undergone quality testing. Of these, 42 were classified as sub-standard, as confirmed by the managing director of Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited, Pukhraj Sen. Consequently, the state health department has ceased the supply of all 19 medicines from Kaysans Pharma until further notice.
