Group items tagged

Whooping cough (say: hoop-ing kof) - also called pertussis (say: pur-tuh-sus) - is one of those illnesses. It's a bacterial infection of the respiratory system, which includes your lungs and breathing tubes. Whooping cough got its name because kids who had it would cough a lot, and in between coughs, they'd make a "whoop" sound when they tried to get a breath.

Announced Tuesday, manufacturers of pediatric cold and cough medicines will change their labels advising their products not be used by children under 4. The announcement follows an FDA scientific panel's testimony on the issue just last week. In addition, FDA safety experts recommended banning the use of over the counter cold and cough medications for children under 6, with an advisory panel in full agreement.

When we were kids, our older brother hated taking aspirin. Okay, perhaps we're really showing our age here, but these were the days before children's Tylenol liquid suspension and when Dimetapp cough syrup (we remember it as the yummy grape medicine) was by prescription only. Our poor mother could only get our brother to take a pill by crushing it in applesauce and spoon-feeding him. Considering the torture he put us through growing up, it was a great pleasure to have a reason to call big brother a "baby" at times...na nanny boo boo! Our poor pets don't have it as easy as our brother did when it comes to taking medication. Whenever our dog Pepper has to take a pill, we literally pry his mouth open, shove it to the back of his throat, clamp his jaw shut and rub until he swallows. Don't get us wrong, Pepper's pretty good about taking them (certainly better than our brother was), but why should we have to struggle at all? Isn't there a way to let him think his medication is more reward than punishment?