caution giving children cold & cough medicine

Parents and caregivers be warned. Cough and cold medicines should not be given to kids under the age of 2. These can even be bought OTC (over the counter) and include decongestants, expectorants, antihistamines, and antitussives (cough suppressants) for the treatment of coughs and colds. The reason for this warning is that a wide variety (albeit uncommon) of serious adverse events have been reported with cough and cold products when used in the young. These adverse effects include death, convulsions, rapid heart rates, and decreased levels of consciousness.