Articles by Dr Rajath Athreya

Dr Rajath Athreya is a Bangalore-based senior consultant neonatologist and paediatrician. He has over two decades of medical experience and is currently Lead Consultant and Cluster Head, Natus Hospitals Bengaluru. He believes in empowering parents to take care of the health and well-being of their children. Apart from his clinical work he is an adviser to the government and is a member of technical advisory committee on communicable diseases. He believes in a sensible application of evidence-based medicine, tailored to children and their families.

Cough syrup crisis: What every parent must know

by October 9, 2025

The deaths of over 20 children in the past few weeks, after consuming cough syrup that was reportedly contaminated with toxic chemicals, have sparked nationwide concern and left parents searching for answers. The deaths, which occurred in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, have been linked to a medicine called Coldrif, which is a fixed-dose combination drug (FDC) used to treat common cold symptoms.   In August 2024, the Union Health Ministry banned 156 FDC drugs, citing serious health risks to humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also repeatedly warned about the dangers of contaminants in paediatric medicines. In a country where people…

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