The Centre has issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories, directing that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children under the age of two years.

The advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), comes amid reports of child deaths allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan .

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry noted none of the tested syrup samples in Madhya Pradesh contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG) -- contaminants that are known to cause serious kidney injury .

The DGHS, which comes under the health ministry, said in the advisory that cough syrups are generally not recommended for children below five years.

For those older, their use should be based on careful cli

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