On the one hand, I should feel relieved that the FDA is cracking down on medications marketed for children, as they did in the recent crackdown on ineffective and potentially life-threatening children’s cough and cold medicines.

On the other hand, what else are parents dosing their kids up with right now – at a doctor’s behest – that could someday warrant closer scrutiny? Like the latest treatment that millions of kids use to, uh, stay alive.

Asthma drugs. The FDA wants a child-specific warning – that these drugs carry an increased risk of asthma-related death and/or hospitalization in children, and that these should be used with other asthma drugs and not alone -- stamped on each and every Serevent and Advair inhaler and are considering the same recommendation for Foradil. They also want a panel to consider whether the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks. Yikes!

FDA reviewers found five deaths among nine adverse-event reports in children during its 13-month review period for Serevent. Such reports don't mean a drug caused a problem. They said there was evidence that inhaled steroid therapy was "not protective" in young people taking Foradil.

I’ve been lucky enough, so far, to not yet have a child diagnosed with asthma, though, in truth, I’m waiting for it to happen. I live in one of the dirtiest cities in the country and saying your kid has asthma here is about as common as saying she has dance classes too. (Excuse me, how sad is that?).

How many of your kids have one of those inhalers stashed in your purse or your school’s nurses office? Would you oppose a recall? Do you read warning labels or discuss them with your doctor?