IMB issue warning over herbal remedies for children

The Irish Medicines Board has issued new advice against the use of certain herbal remedies on children.

It is now recommending that herbal products containing echinacea should not be used on children under 12 years old.

It follows a review of data on the safety and effectiveness of echinacea, which the IMB says has found a lack of scientific data to support the use of the products.

The Medicines Board is now contacting retailers requesting that children's echinacea-containing products are removed from sale.

Echinacea herbal products for adults are not affected, however some may contain product information relating to children's dosage, which the IMB says recommends should not be given to under 12s.