I have a hard time with my daughter and E numbers. She is 4 now but hasn't taken calpol or cough mixtures since she was 2 otherwise she would be hyper active and v. aggressive. i found out for myself disprol soluble for children (add juice if needed) works but they have no nurofen equiv. We couldnt complete the last days antibiotics as here aggression was beyond control, i hav just moved and my new doctor has said if needed she can have ANTIBIOTIC capsules tipped out in her yoghurt (sense at last). She also suffers terribly with itching and has had antihistimines since she was 2 but at first she started on the syrup, awful E numbers and side effects. Eventually just turned 3 was prescribes half a ZIRTEK tab every day, it has made a difference. Then there is food drinks and sweets aaah. Plain choc only has 1 e number Fab ice creams hav natural colourings (beetroot etc) and never drink fizzy drinks. Companies disgust me but its time the government took action.

emma mccabe, staffs, england

as a grandmother of a 3yr old girl with asthma, eczema and hives, i was appalled to read the ingredients of the medicines given to her by the family doctor who knows full well that she reacts to colourings and preservatives !!!! what can you do when she is scratching herself hysterically and drawing blood!!!!!! she is now reacting to pollens in the area and guess what Piriton contains!!!!!! does anyone know if there are any natural medicines or organic remedies that we can use,,,,,,,,

mrs jean powell, hodnet, shropshire

Niki from Burton-on-Trent - I was lucky & could breastfeed too, exclusively, and for what most would consider a very long time. Whether "breast-fed children get sick less" is not necessarily the point. When they DO, they may well need medication and it is reasonable to expect that this medication will be subject to the very strictest of guidelines, given the fragile age and immature immune systems of those receiving it. Of course parents should be advised on the obvious benefits of breast-feeding but that doesn't mean it will be the answer to everything. Throughout human history, women have breastfed and babies still got ill, I'm thankful we now have the additional assistance of medications - but let's make sure they ARE a proper assistance by forcing manufacturers to make these medications as best they can be. P.S. Good idea Christine Bartlett (see below)!

Liz, South Brent,

As the mother of a hyperactive 5 year old boy, who is also asthmatic, I have totally changed his diet and have found a marked improvement in his behaviour and his asthma. That is until he has an attack and then i have the dialema, go to the doctor and get prescibed anti biotics that contain so many artificail colourings and flavourings( that he no longer gets, and that are known to agrivate asthma and cause hyper activity!) that causes him to get excitable, the last thing we need when he is struggling to breath anyway. my local doctors have tried to find antibiotics that are are free from these E numbers but with no success and don't know what to suggest now. I am now waiting on a referral to the hospital and see if they have any answers .

Glynis Gogolinski, Inverbervie,

As a long-term breastfeeding mother, I have rarely used any fever-reducing (or cough) medicines as I know that the very best thing for my children when they're ill is breastmilk. Because it is a dynamic food, it contains antibodies made by me in response to their infections; it is easy to digest; contains exactly the same balance of minerals as rehydration fluids; and it is a wonderful source of comfort for a sick child. It's also, of course, free of these sorts of additives. Breastfed children get sick less often than their artificial milk fed peers, a trend which lasts throughout childhood and not just during the breastfeeding period. Should we be telling mothers this as part of helping them make an informed choice on feeding? Of course.

It's also interesting that a lot of the conditions said to be caused by these medicines are also alleged to be due to infant vaccinations (onset of atopic illness, diarrhoea etc). Perhaps it is not the vaccinations at all, but the Calpol?

Niki, Burton on trent, uk

My grandson has had asthma and eczema since he was 6 months old. He is prescribed prednisolone tablets -the water soluble tablets for children are bright luminous pink and make him hyperactive and aggressive. This is not a good idea for an asthmatic child as it defeats the object of keeping him quiet to recover from the attack. I contacted the drug company and had a very terse reply telling me they were not breaking any rules so butt out! On a recent trip to hospital with a very high temperature he was given Medinol which does not contain colourings. Apparently Calpol is not used there any more. The best way to instigate change would be to stop using the offending medicines. This is not easy as an alternative is not always available. I suggest we all ask our pharmacist to obtain alternatives for us and perhaps the message will get back to the drug companies that unless they listen to parents and supply medicines without these additives their profits will fall.

Christine Bartlett, Leicester, UK

I'm a new father, my daughter becomes ill and the solution is to either leave her be and hope for the best or giver her a medicine which potentially could make her worse. Sounds to me that these companies are endangering our childrens lives.
An extreme thought you might say, but what happens if a child does happen to die, is that when the government and the companies say " Oops sorry!".
I don't think they realise that they potentially are risking not only peoples lives but also losing millions of pounds in compensation. I WILL BE LOOKING INTO THIS!!!

steve, warrington, cheshire

So, the Calpol spokesman says “ingredients contained within children’s medicines are clearly labelled... to enable parents to make an informed choice”. Not really much of a choice if there's "only [one] medication that did not contain additives" and that's a"cough syrup for children aged 1 and over"! What "choice" is there if your child requires a medication that relieves fever before their 1st birthday?! Whether it's post-immunisation temperatures or just the usual colds & flus, under 3s need medication, not just to alleviate the immediate symptoms but to prevent the onset of potentially dangerous febrile convulsions. Obviously because of this, we'll all carry on using these medications but it's seriously disapointing to know that in doing so we may expose our kids to other risks which can't realistically be avoided. If these additives aren't contributiong to the medicinal value of the product, let's see them replaced with approved alternatives!

Liz, South Brent,

my son finley who is 4 gets very hyper and extremely violent if he has sodium benzoate e211 which is in nearly every cough mixture which is very frustrating as it means his cough last extra long and if it turns into an infection i am stuck as it is in all but 1 antibiotic so i definately feel strongly that something should be done about this it is not good enough as the listed side effect for e211 is extreme violence no wonder so many children are out of control now days as some parents may not make the link with this preservative which is in mostly all fizzy dinks and squashes to there childs behaviour.

nicola tuitt, bracknell, berkshire

Parents should be treated like adults and be given adequate information by the so called professionals to make the choice that is right for their families.
If these substances have been banned, then why is the government not doing something to prosecute or fine the companies who are playing russian roulette with our childrens health and wellbeing.

Calpol responded flippantly to my concerns over their use of E122 in their infant suspension, when I contacted them recently about it.

Cassandra, Motherwell, Scotland

Yes, Tony, they're medicines. They are meant to make your child feel better, not give them the runs and make them go *boing*.

Starling, Lancaster, UK

I think it is ridiculous to think that if the ingredients are written on the packaging that parents can make an informed decission on what they give to their children!! How do you expect the majority of parents to even know what these ingredients are, let alone what effects they will have on their loved ones. it is the responsibility of the drug companies to ensure that they provide SAFE MEDICINE for children and the entire population in general, after all medicine is to cure people not be the source of another problem. But then again, it is widely known that what these drug companies are interesed in is the size of their own back pockets not the sick in our society.

Mary Finn, Cork, Ireland

i have spent all of my girls lives giving them natural food, keeping there diet free from additives, colouring and such like only to find that there medication is filled with it, maybe Illich was right with his Iatrogenisis!!

Rachel, Merseyside,

So additives banned from foods are found in some in medicines. So what? The active ingredients of these medicines are certainly not allowed in foods, and are also toxic if overdosed. That is why they are called MEDICINES!

Tony, Welwyn,

Good Research.
This is just another exmaple of how our governments have failed us by rather choosing to support their own interests in big business.
This cannot be incompetence & therefore is a deliberate choice. A natural extension of banned food additives legislation would naturally extend to all ingested products.
For our very souls and those of our chldren, we must rise up now against the perpetrators our out nightmares.

Sally Weeks, London, England