Anti-Reflux Drugs Declared Safe for Children

Tuesday March 27, 2007

Yesterday I joked about Lipitor commercials on Nickelodeon, and today comes news that has me imagining Tinky Winky peddling the Purple Pill.

According to a Reuters report, researchers have found anti-reflux drugs like Teletubby-purple Prilosec and Prevacid to be safe for long-term use in children with reflux disease. Of the 166 children followed in the study, some took the drug successfully for as long as 11 years, and only six ultimately required surgery for their condition. Four had side effects possibly related to use of the drugs.

These proton pulse inhibitors, or PPIs, "are drugs that have revolutionized the practice of pediatric gastroenterology, and they have a wide margin of safety," the study's co-author, Dr. Eric Hassall, told Reuters. Still, Hassall suggested that the drugs should be prescribed only to children with a diagnosis of reflux disease, and the families should receive nutritional counseling to minimize against any deficiencies. The pills shouldn't be popped by every toddler with a tummyache, no matter what Big Bird's going to tell you.