As reported by the New York Times today, the FDA is considering an outright ban on over the counter multi-symptom cold and cough medecines for children under six. The concern is that there is little evidence that these medicines are effective. At the same, some kids have reacted strongly to the medicine, leading to deaths in the worst cases. Most parents would say that these drugs often work to stop sniffles and coughing, but there is some evidence to suggest that there is little more than a placebo effect working with these drugs. The risks may strongly outweigh the benefits, placebo or not.