Over-the-counter cough and cold medications administered to children under 12 years of age are responsible for about 7,000 emergency room visits every year in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While most of the admissions are related to adverse events resulting from the unsupervised ingestion of medication by young kids, only a small percentage are on account of an allergic reaction. The FDA recommends against giving OTC cough and cold medicines to toddlers (or children under the age of two).