Centre: No Toxic Substances Found in Cough Syrup Linked to Children’s Deaths, Probe Underway

Cough syrup samples linked to the deaths of children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh did not contain toxins known to cause kidney injuries, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

A central team comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, the National Institute of Virology, and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation visited Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, where nine children died of kidney failure within 15 days. The team collected and tested samples after initial suspicions that the syrups were contaminated with diethylene glycol. However, lab results confirmed the absence of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, both toxic substances. State-level testing corroborated these findings.

Despite this, the ministry has issued an advisory limiting the use of cough syrups in children. The Director General of Health Services stressed that such medicines should not be prescribed to children under two years, and are generally inadvisable for those under five. Most childhood coughs, the advisory said, are self-limiting and can be treated with hydration, rest, and supportive care. Manufacturers have been instructed to follow good manufacturing practices, avoid multi-drug formulations, and raise awareness among parents on safe medicine use.

The scare began in Chhindwara, where most victims had been administered Coldrif and Nextro-DS syrups. Following the deaths, the district collector immediately banned the sale of both products and issued advisories to doctors, pharmacies, and parents.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan has also reported three child deaths suspected to be linked to cough syrups. Samples from the state are undergoing testing, and the company involved, Kayson Pharma, is facing a full-scale investigation into all its products.

The controversy deepened after a senior doctor in Rajasthan consumed the syrup publicly to demonstrate its safety. Hours later, he was found unconscious in his car, prompting further alarm.