Editor’s Note:  We avoid administering any kind of cold medication to our children as a treatment for cold & runny nose, because we feel that it is much better to allow the symptoms to run their course.  Cold medicines generally work by drying up the mucous membranes.  But the body heals faster by ejecting the mucus, so the end effect of the medications is to actually slow down the healing process.  Our bodies, and particularly our childrens’ bodies are geniuses of health. Left alone, the body knows how best to find the perfect balance of health.  Try not to interfere with this natural process by administering chemicals.

That said, if your child is miserable because of a stuffy or runny nose or if you have simply had enough of mucus spread over your home and furniture like a fine film, it’s a good idea to use a nasal aspirator to remove excess mucus.

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration said Saturday it was investigating a health-care company for possible other problems following its recall of more than 40 over-the-counter infant’s and children’s liquid medications.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, based in Fort Washington, Pa., issued the voluntary recall late Friday in the United States and 11 other countries after consulting with the FDA. The recall involves children’s versions of Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl, because they don’t meet quality standards.
The FDA said it was reviewing procedures at McNeil, which appears to be the sole source of the problems. “We are following through with the facility to make certain that everything has been checked,” said FDA spokeswoman Elaine Gansz Bobo.
According to McNeil and the FDA, some of the products recalled may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified on the bottle. Others may contain particles, while still others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet internal testing requirements.
The FDA called the potential for serious medical problems “remote,” but it advised consumers to stop using the medicine as a precaution. It said a health care professional should be consulted if a child has recently taken any of the recalled products and is exhibiting unexpected symptoms.
The FDA also says parents in the interim should consider substitute child medications, such as generic versions. It does not recommend that children be given adult-strength Tylenol or Motrin because they are not intended for younger age groups.
The medicines were made and distributed in the United States, and exported to Canada, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Kuwait.
Details are available by telephone at 1-888-222-6036 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-888-222-6036 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or on the Web at . http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com