Kids Know Best?

When my grandson Erik was five years old, he once refused a dose of cold medicine, saying, "It sleepifies me."

Now it appears that Erik was ahead of the experts, and not just in coining new words. The FDA is currently re-evaluating how and why we give cold medicines to children. The agency has already banned such medicines for children under two, citing "serious and potentially life-threatening side effects," and may extend the ban to older children.

For children over two, the FDA has published some guidelines for these medications. All of this is good information for grandparents who often or even occasionally have responsibility for their grandchildren.