Thanks for the message, and thanks to ABC for the opportunity to answer questions today. Over the counter cough and cold medications are widely used - and most kids who take them do not have problems. But some do. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1,519 children under two were treated for adverse reactions to these drugs in 2004 to 2005. The federal government recently reported that the deaths of three infants were related to unintentional overdoses of these products. In Baltimore, we have seen four deaths of children under age four over the last approximately 5 years also associated with these products. Such serious consequences might possibly be OK if the medications worked -- but there's no evidence that they provide any significant symptom relief. Without any benefit, I don't see any reason to tolerate even a small chance of a serious complication. As for the question of timing, these products were marketed for many years before evidence on effectiveness and harm became available. Now we have a lot more information, and it indicates that these products are not safe or effective. reported that