Drug Store News - Study of Benadryl use in kids offers surprise
DENVER — Last month, the National Jewish Medical and Research Center released a study claiming that children remain alert and ready to learn even after consuming the over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine, commonly sold under the trade name Benadryl. Manufactured by Pfizer, the medication packs such a potent sedative punch in adults that it has been used as a sleep aid in addition to its allergy-relieving effects.
However, new research shows that neither diphenhydramine nor loratadine, Schering-Plough’s prescription strength Claritin, had any effect on children’s alertness or ability to learn. Schering-Plough funded the study.
Related Results
Generic BenadrylBenadryl findingBenadryl an option?Benadryl found ineffective as infant sleep aidMom sues baby sitter over fatal Benadryl dose
“The results were quite a surprise,” commented Dr. Bruce Bender, head of pediatric behavioral health at National Jewish and lead author of the study. “Our hypothesis was that the group receiving diphenhydramine would score
significantly lower. We thought the kids’ reactions to the medications would be similar to those of adults.”
Bender did identify two previous studies that reported conflicting results, suggesting that the effects of diphenhydramine on children needed to be more closely examined. According to Bender, the study also highlights the physiological differences between children and adults and the need to study the effects of drugs in children before approving them for pediatric use.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
