Medical Reports: Cold Control

WSVN -- Jessica May: "He's not comfortable at all."

It's the sleepless nights, sneezing and runny nose. Four-month-old Jailon is getting his very first cold.

Jessica May: "Everything started getting really bad, especially at night. He wasn't sleeping because he couldn't breathe."

When her pediatrician's office told her she couldn't give Jailon over-the-counter cold medicine...

Jessica May: "I freaked out because I didn't know what else to do."

It was because the FDA has linked over the counter cold medicines to 123 pediatric deaths since 1969, most of them children under two.

Jessica May: "There you go."

Plus experts say the over-the-counter meds just don't make kids any better.

Dr. Vinny Chulani: "The body of evidence supporting the use of cough and cold preparations, over-the-counter cough and cold preparations for infants and children, under the age of two, under the age of six, even adults is really shaky at best."

So what's a mom to do?

Harvard pediatrics professor Doctor Michael Snnon has five tips to keep kids in cold control ...

One, get rid of any children's cold medicines you may have on hand.

Two, make sure you have acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve the fever and muscle aches.

Three, plenty of fluids and plenty of rest.

Four, watch for warning signs that it may be more than just a cold: high fever, wheezing or a rash, and five, if your baby is sick for more than three or four days, make sure to call the doctor.

Jailon is now doing much better. As for mom ...

Jessica May: "Not getting any gray hairs yet. We're just taking it day by day."

Cold meds for children under 6 are still available in many stores. The FDA has not officially ordered drug stores to stop selling them. But if you're in desperate need of another remedy, a recent study suggests a teaspoon of dark honey before bedtime.