kiddie drugs
Pediatricians are
asking the FDA to recall all OTC cough medicines for children under six years old, and the FDA is holding a
public hearing on the subject today. One reason this has only recently become an issue is that when the FDA originally set rules for OTC cough medicines, they were based only on studies for adults, not kids, writes the Associated Press. Although there's a low risk of unintentional overdose—the AP says about 7,000 children are admitted to ERs each year—the other issue is that there's very little evidence that they're effective.
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target
We're big fans of Target's
smart approach to package design for medicine. They may want to give a little more thought to their OTC generics, however—how about using more distinct labeling for the children's line, for example? One reader explains why this would be a lot safer.
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children
And by "tolerable" we just mean "nobody has to die this year." Kiplinger offers
10 ways to prepare yourself for traveling with kids now that cough syrup is frowned upon. We think one of the best is "team boarding"—don't pre-board an airplane, because all it really does is increase the time your children are stuck in their seats getting all bouncy. Instead, if you've got another adult with you, one of you should board early and get the luggage stowed, pillows arranged, etc., while the other stays in the airport for as long as possible trying to run the kids ragged enough that they'll promptly fall asleep once they're settled in.
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children
AirTran is defending itself today for removing a screaming toddler and her family from a flight bound for Boston. "The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said, " [The toddler, a three year old named Elly] was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat."
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parenting
The modern, compact and secure approach to learning how to potty, The Potty Bench opens for toilet training and can be closed to use as a step stool or seat.
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Consumerist
This $10 silicone bib for babies is stain-proof and non-porous, and it forms a scoop (you might even say a trough) underneath baby's uncooperative mouth, so that food items end up there instead of on the baby, table, floor, dog, etc. It can even be thrown in the dishwasher. [Cool Tools]
fisher-price
consumer safety
