In the news: FDA Cold Meds Warning and U.S. Baby "Boomlet"

Two more headlines showed up in the news this week of interest to late-in-life moms. Why does this stuff always happen after my Monday news post?

FDA: Cold meds too risky for little ones
The FDA issued a public health advisory warning parents to avoid over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under age 2 "because serious and potentially life-threatening complications can occur." The agency still hasn't decided if the medications are safe for older children.
Drug companies last October quit selling dozens of versions targeted specifically to babies and toddlers. That same month, the FDA’s scientific advisers said the drugs don’t even work in small children and shouldn’t be used in preschoolers, either — anyone under age 6.


The U.S. is experiencing a baby "boomlet"
The United States seems to be experiencing a baby boomlet, reporting nearly 4.3 million births in 2006 --the largest number of children born in 45 years.
The births were mostly due to a bigger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics. That group accounted for nearly one-quarter of all U.S. births.
Last month, the CDC reported that America’s teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years.
The same report also showed births becoming more common in nearly every age and racial or ethnic group. Birth rates increased for women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, not just teens. They rose for whites, blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Alaska Natives. The rate for Asian women stayed about the same.