Following various surveys and investigations into the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children, the FDA this week is urging parents and caregivers to refrain from giving these OTC medications to children under 2 due to dangerous side effects. The FDA is still investigating the use of these drugs in children aged 2 to 11.

"We strongly recommend that over-the-counter cough and cold products should not be used in infants and young children under 2 years of age because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur from use of these products," said Charles Ganley M.D., director of the FDA's Office of Nonprescription Products.

An FDA news release this week indicates that rare, serious adverse side effects - including rapid heart rates, decreased levels of consciousness, convulsions, and death - have been reported with the use of cough and cold products in young children.

It should be noted that the FDA "has never endorsed the use of these products in children less than 2 years of age". Instead, the FDA has "acknowledged that there was no safety and efficacy data", and left it up to children's doctors to make the determination of whether OTC medication should be used.

The FDA said they decided to issue the warnings this week after learning that many parents were not aware of the warnings issued last year about these products.

With regards to giving OTC cough and cold medicine to children aged 2 to 11, the FDA also released these guidelines:

Mathis provided the following tips for parents who choose to give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to children aged 2-11:

* Always remember that these medications do not cure the cold. They don't shorten the time that your child has a cold, and they're only meant to help a child's symptoms.
* Look at the active ingredients in the Drug Facts label. This will help you understand what active ingredients are in the medication and what symptoms each active ingredient is intended to treat. Cough and cold medications often have more than one active ingredient.
* Be very careful in giving more than one over-the-counter cough and cold medication to your child. Remember that many over-the-counter cough and cold products have multiple medications in them. If you use two medications that have similar active ingredients, a child could get too much of the ingredient, which could be harmful.
* Make sure to carefully follow the directions in the Drug Facts part of the label. These directions tell you how much medicine to give and how often to give it.
* Only use the measuring device -- spoon, dropper, or cup -- that comes with the medication. Common household spoons come in different sizes and are not meant for measuring medicines. If you use these, you may not be giving the right dose.
* If you have the opportunity to choose cough and cold medications with a childproof safety cap, you should do so, and store these medications out of the reach of children.