(HealthDay News) -- It's perfectly normal for parents to be concerned when a child comes home sneezing and coughing with what appears to be the common cold, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
But cough medicine may not be the best remedy, the agency warns.
It says some cough medicines could have life-threatening side effects, such as slowed breathing. This is especially true among babies and young children.
A typical cold will run its course within a week. So the FDA says it may be better to treat symptoms with nothing more than plenty of fluids, especially warm drinks to help soothe a sore throat.
The agency offers these guidelines:
Robitussin Honey Cough Syrup Recalled Due to Fungal Threat
Antibiotics Probably Won't Ease Your Cough, Even If Infection is Bacterial: Study
CVS Pulling Popular Cold Meds From Shelves After Report Deems Them to Be Useless
CVS Pulling Popular Cold Meds From Shelves After Report Deems Them to Be Useless
Experimental Nasal Spray Might Ward Off Multiple Viruses
Antibiotics Probably Won't Ease Your Cough, Even If Infection is Bacterial: Study