WHO Links Deaths of Children to Contaminated Cough and Cold Syrups

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert about four pediatric medicines from Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals linked to reported deaths of dozens of children in Gambia.

The four products are Promethazine oral solution, Kofexmalin baby cough syrup, Makoff baby cough syrup and Magrip N cold syrup.

Laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirmed that they contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, potentially fatal contaminants, the agency said.

The WHO warned that the contaminated products may have been distributed to other countries or regions.