Parents of young children should never give cough and cold medicine to children under age 2, unless instructed to do so by a doctor. This is the gist of a new advisory by the FDA prompted by a CDC report that showed at least three deaths and 1,500 adverse effects in infants and toddlers as a result of taking these medications. Most of the time, the problem seems to be overdosing - either by simply giving too much, too often, or mixing medications with the same active ingredients.

Turns out these medications can have some pretty powerful effects on young children. They can interfere with the heart's electrical system causing an arrhythmia or constrict blood vessels too much causing hypertension. While most of these problems seem to be associated with overdosing, it is possible that a small percentage of kids have an adverse effect even at smaller doses.

Truth be told, a lot of pediatricians hardly ever recommend cold or cough medicines for children that young. The biggest reason is that it is unclear what dose is safe for kids under 2. It is also unclear whether these medications even work. Instead, many doctors recommend using a soft suction tube to irrigate and suction the nose (a little disgusting, but pretty effective), saline nose drops or a humidifier.

If you are still going to use the medication, make sure to give it to your child exactly as prescribed and not to dose more frequently, even if it doesn't appear to be working. Use the measuring dispenser given with the medication, and if there isn't one, get one from the pharmacy. Never use adult-sized teaspoons or tablespoons to give the medication.

Children get colds - lots of them -- six to10 a year, on average. Almost always, they go away on their own. So, are you likely to go to the medicine cabinet if your child gets sick or do you let it run its course? What are some of the best remedies you have found?

If you're like many parents, you have probably never really thought about lead. Of course, this recent toy recall probably has you surfing the Internet to find out which toys are on the list (see them here) and which ones you will have to get out of your home. As the father of a 2-year-old, I know it is not easy. My daughter is particularly fond of Dora, and my wife and I felt guilty as we removed a few of her toys late last night. It did surprise me though to learn that around 300,000 children a year still suffer from lead poisoning and the number is as high as 16 percent in some communities, especially impoverished ones, where diets rich in calcium, iron and zinc may be lacking.

The biggest culprit, as you might guess, is lead-based paint which was still used up until around 1978. Turns out if a child ate this paint, more specifically a pencil eraser-sized piece every day for 2 to 4 weeks, he or she could suffer from lead poisoning. Children are especially susceptible for a few reasons: First of all, they are more likely to actually eat paint. Also, their little bodies absorb lead at nearly 5 times the rate of adults, and lead affects the central nervous system of a developing body more so than an adult body.

There is a test (Watch Video) to check for lead poisoning, and it involves a finger prick to get some blood (ironically I would always distract my daughter with that same Dora doll when she was getting her blood drawn). If that level comes back high, then more blood is taken to confirm the lead intoxication. The key, though, is knowing whom to check. Often times, someone may develop symptoms long after the lead poisoning has taken place. That is too late - you would like to know before those symptoms ever develop.

Last night, my wife and I talked about getting our own daughter checked (and which toy we would take to distract her). The CDC recommends children get tested every year, especially between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. What about you? Are you planning on getting your child tested? Why or why not?

One of the questions I get the most as a doctor has to do with antioxidants. No surprise, given that around a third of the nation's adults take them. The claims about their benefits range from anti-aging to memory preservation to warding off heart disease. Truth is, there isn't nearly as much research into these supplements as I would like. So, for a long time, there were a few small studies that people would use to support their arguments either for, or against, taking antioxidant supplements.

That is why I was so interested in one of the largest studies looking specifically at the effect of three different antioxidants and heart disease in women. The researchers looked at almost 8,200 women who were at risk of heart disease and followed them for almost 10 years. The bottom line: While there was no harm from the antioxidants, there was no benefit as well.

Still, there is no doubt that eating food high in antioxidants is heart healthy. So, where is the disconnect? Well, it most likely has to do with the fact that fruits and vegetables are loaded with all sorts of things. Besides the antioxidants, there is fiber and certain micronutrients that may play a significant role in the way our body absorbs the precious antioxidants. In short, simply taking the "good stuff" out of food and putting it into a pill doesn't seem to work so well, because food packages things much better than we can.

So, why is it that we as Americans continue to spend billions of dollars a year on something that doesn't have a lot of data showing that it even works or is beneficial? Is it blind faith or do you think the science is just slow to catch up?

I told my wife today is International Left Handers Day. She comes from a long line of them. She, along with her father, brother, sister and aunt are all proud southpaws.

"If the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body, you know we're the only ones in our right mind," she said.

"That must be lefty humor," I said.

From doors, computers, to scissors, there is no doubt that our world is made for right-handed people. Even anthropologists, have found that right-hand preference spans across all human cultures, including ancient civilizations. Even a test of fetuses (using ultrasound) shows 92 percent sucking their right thumbs, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the University of Toronto.

In fact, about 1 in 10 people are left-handed, according to the latest research. Also, left-handedness tends to be more common in men than in women. Being a lefty is also a family affair. A Scientific American Mind article states that two-right handed parents have a 9.5 percent chance of having a left-handed child. A mixed couple, with one lefty and one righty, have about double those chances. Whereas, two left-handed mates have a 26 percent chance of having a southpaw baby.

Just last month, Oxford University researchers discovered a gene that increases the odds of being left-handed. That same gene may carry an increased risk of schizophrenia. It's yet another finding that associates left-handedness with poorer health outcomes.

A Dutch study this year found that left-handed women have a higher risk for cancer, stroke and arterial damage. Some older studies have found associations with a long list of chronic ailments: alcoholism, dyslexia, migraine, asthma, hyperactivity, inflammatory bowel disease and mental disabilities. But even with these higher associated rates, no scientist can offer a definitive cause and effect between left-handedness and illness.

Critics of older studies say that the research is biased. They say it has been influenced by antiquated theories based on left-handedness as a disorder - a product of an excess of fetal testosterone or developmental instability in the uterus. The latest research says there is little to no proof of these factors being true.

There is some good news. Last year, an Australian study found that left-handed people are quicker while playing computer games and sports.

Do you think that left-handedness has an influence on health? Why or why not? Do you think it's easier or harder to be a lefty in today's world?