The Food and Drug Administration is calling on outside experts to determine whether over-the-counter cold and cough medications are safe for young children. In the meantime, the government is warning parents not to give these drugs to children two years old or younger. The FDA received reports of more than 900 overdoses in children in one year. The government issued these recommendations for parents to follow: *Do not use cough and cold products in children under 2 unless given specific directions to do so by a health care provider. *Do not give children medicine that is packaged and made for adults. *Use only products marked for use in babies, infants or children, sometimes called “pediatric” use. *Cough and cold medicines come in different strengths. If unsure about the right product for a child, ask a health care provider. *If other medicines, whether over-the-counter or prescription, are being given to a child, the child’s health care provider should review and approve their combined use. *Read all of the information in the “Drug Facts” box on the package label to know the active ingredients and the warnings. *For liquid products, parents should use the measuring device that is packaged with each medicine formulation and is marked to deliver the recommended dose. A kitchen teaspoon or tablespoon is not an appropriate measuring device.