The FDA issued a warning today advising parents to not give over the counter cough and cold medicines to infants and toddlers because of the risk of “serious and life threatening side effects that can occur”.

In October of last year, drug companies stopped selling certain versions of baby medicines. Later that same month, FDA advisors voted that the drugs didn’t work in infants and suggested that such drugs not even be used for pre-schoolers–meaning children up to age 6. Expect a formal ruling on the use of such medications in preschoolers and elementary school children to be publicized some time in spring.

Why issue a warning now? The FDA is concerned that parents have not gotten the message and that they may currently have such medicines at home, or that they may use other medicines designed for older children to medicate their infants. Also, decades ago, when these medications were first developed, scientists thought that what worked in an adult automatically would work in an infant.

Right now, specialists are advising parents who have infants with colds and coughs to rely on old fashioned remedies which include–plenty of love, rest, and liquids.