在过去的两个月里，康涅狄格州有三名儿童死于明显的苯海拉明过量，促使州政府官员警告家长注意药物安全和误用的潜在风险。
康涅狄格州儿童倡导办公室周三在一份公开声明中证实了这些死亡事件，称希望在就此事进行“大量媒体调查”后，向公众提供澄清和信息。
根据美国国家医学图书馆运营的在线健康资源toMedlinePlus，苯海拉明是一种以几个品牌出售的抗组胺药，包括Benadryl。
康涅狄格OCA表示，在这些死亡事件发生后，它已经联系了该州的公共卫生部，“讨论预防策略”，并补充说，这两个机构已经“向治疗提供者发出了一份关于苯海拉明风险的通信”，以及与父母和护理人员讨论安全储存的重要性
亚奥理事会发出警告之际，几个州的卫生官员继续提高对所谓“苯海拉明挑战”的认识，这是一种在线社交媒体趋势，鼓励人们服用过量的苯海拉明并拍摄其影响。
该机构周三表示，它无法确认最近的死亡是否与挑战有关，但敦促供应商和家长“意识到青少年可能会滥用药物。”
“我们希望父母意识到，任何药物，包括处方药和非处方药，对所有年龄段的儿童都有潜在的危险，”它说。“我们强烈建议家长安全存放所有药物，以确保儿童不容易拿到它们。”
官员们还强调了心理健康资源对儿童和家庭的重要性。
“我们也希望家长知道，如果他们的孩子有心理健康需求，他们可以获得资源，”该机构表示，并指出，平均每天有17名儿童因“自残或自杀意念”而前往全州的急诊室
该机构提供了一份儿童和家庭心理健康资源清单，包括康涅狄格州的危机中心清单。
Benadryl的制造商Kenvue在周三给ABC新闻的一份声明中说，“使用我们产品的人的健康和安全是我们的首要任务。”
“几十年来，BENADRYL为几代家庭提供了可靠的缓解过敏、感冒和瘙痒的方法。...我们同情那些因误用含苯海拉明产品而受到影响的人，”该公司表示。
该公司表示，社交媒体上推广滥用苯海拉明产品的趋势“极其危险，应该立即停止”，并补充说，它已经采取行动，通过与社交媒体平台合作，删除危险的帖子，来阻止它们的传播。
根据MedlinePlus，使用苯海拉明会导致一系列副作用，包括口干、鼻干和咽干;困倦或头晕;肌肉无力;和儿童多动症。一些人可能对该药物有更严重的反应，并可能出现视力问题、排尿困难或排尿疼痛。
在苯海拉明过量的情况下，MedlinePlus敦促人们拨打中毒控制帮助热线800-222-1222。
“如果受害者昏倒，癫痫发作，呼吸困难，或者无法醒来，立即拨打911急救服务，”它补充说。
3 Connecticut children die from apparent diphenhydramine overdoses, no confirmed link to viral 'Benadryl challenge
Three children in Connecticut have died in the past two months from apparentdiphenhydramine overdoses, prompting state officials to warn parents about medication safety and the potential risks of misuse.
The Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate confirmed the deaths in a publicstatementon Wednesday, saying it hoped to provide the public with clarification and information following "numerous media inquiries" on the matter.
Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine sold under several brand names, including Benadryl, according toMedlinePlus, an online health resource run by the National Library of Medicine.
The Connecticut OCA said it had reached out to the state's Department of Public Health "to discuss prevention strategies" in the wake of those deaths, adding that the two agencies had "issued a communication to treatment providers" about the risks of diphenhydramine "and the importance of discussing safe storage with parents and caregivers."
The OCA warning comes as health officials in several states continue to raise awareness about the so-called "Benadryl challenge," an online social media trend that encourages people to take excessive amounts of diphenhydramine and film the effects.
The agency said Wednesday it could not confirm whether the recent deaths were connected to the challenge, but urged providers and parents to "be aware that adolescents may misuse the medication."
"We want parents to be aware that any medication, including prescription and non-prescription medication, is potentially dangerous to children of all ages," it stated. "We strongly encourage parents to store all medications safely, to ensure they are not easily accessible to children."
Officials also highlighted the importance of mental health resources for children and families.
"We also want parents to know that resources are available if their children are experiencing mental health needs," the agency said, noting that on average, 17 children present to emergency departments across the state each day "for self-harm or suicidal ideation."
The agency provided a list of mental health resources for children and families, including a list of crisis centers across Connecticut.
Kenvue, the maker of Benadryl, said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday that "the health and safety of people who use our products is our top priority."
"For decades, BENADRYL has provided trusted relief from allergies to colds to itches for generations of families. ...Our hearts go out to those impacted by the misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products," the company said.
The company said social media trends promoting misuse of diphenhydramine products are "extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately," adding that it had taken action to stop them from spreading by working with social media platforms to remove dangerous posts.
According to MedlinePlus, diphenhydramine use can cause a range of side effects including dry mouth, nose, and throat; drowsiness or dizziness; muscle weakness; and hyperactivity in children. Some people can have a more severe reaction to the drug and may experience vision problems, difficulty urinating or painful urination.
In case of a diphenhydramine overdose, MedlinePlus urges people to call the poison control helpline at 800-222-1222.
"If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911," it adds.
