2007年VOA标准英语-US Health Agency Issues Warning on Children's C

By Melinda Smith
Washington
21 August 2007
 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning that parents not give young children commercially sold cough and cold medicine, unless a doctor approves it first.  The concern came after a two-year study of at least 1,500 children who were hospitalized after taking the syrup¹.  VOA's Melinda Smith has more.

An infant being given doctor-supervised medicine

Cough and cold medications line the shelves of neighborhood pharmacies² almost everywhere.  Most of the labels on the back warn parents not to give the syrup to children under the age of two.  Some medications extend the age to six.

The warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes after many pediatricians were concerned that parents were not reading the fine print. 

Dr. Lisa Thornton, from Schwab Rehabilitation³ Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, says parents should be cautious about what they give their children. "These are not harmless medications and they really do need to be dosed very appropriately and, as I said, minimally⁴ for very young children."

Warning on a medicine label

The FDA warning came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied medical records of at least 1,500 children from 2004 to 2005.  The deaths of three babies showed higher than recommended doses of pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used to relieve sinus congestion⁵.

Dr. Janet Serwint of Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, Maryland describes some of the side effects. "They can cause your heart to beat too fast.  They can cause your blood pressure to be elevated."

An organization representing manufacturers of cough and cold medications insists the products are safe.  It also agreed that a doctor should be consulted first.

1 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

2 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

3 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

4 minimally   

最低限度地，最低程度地

参考例句：

• Food spoilage problems occur with minimally processed, concentrated frozen citrus products. 食品的变质也发生在轻微加工的、浓缩冷冻的柑橘制品中。
• So, minimally, they are responsible for such actions and omissions. 所以，至少来说，他们要对这样的行为和忽略负责。

5 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。