After a few months of deciding on how to handle toddlers and pre-schoolers when it comes to administering cold medications, the FDA finally reached a decision this week. The federal agency tasked with protecting the U.S. public from unsafe drug products has said those under two years of age should not have any cough or cold medications. Period.

Products like Robitussin, Pediasure and Triamninic will not have to find homes elsewhere or contain warnings on their packages that would scare any parent, such as: don't use this product for those under two "because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur." Yeah, that would get my attention pretty quick as a parent. You?

But that's not all -- the FDA is set to make a decision by this spring on whether some of these same products are appropriate for use by older children, even up to six years of age and beyond. As expected, the large drug companies that make these products state that they are used 3.8 billion times a year in and are indeed safe for those under two years of age.