
Parents are advised to stop administering homeopathic teething products to their children after pharmacies pull products from the shelves.
The U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it’s investigating a possible link between the death of 10 children and homeopathic teething products bought in stores.
The agency is yet to find a definite link but during their investigations they found almost 400 cases of children experiencing negative effects possibly as a result of using teething gel and tablets. As a result the FDA have issued a public warning that using these products on your baby could result in symptoms such as seizure, lethargy, constipation, fever, tremor, shortness of breath, vomiting, sleepiness, agitation and irritability, according to a Time report.
They advise parents to stop using the products immediately which are widely available at pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreen’s. CVS has since pulled most homeopathic teething products from their shelves with Walgreen’s following suit and parents should visit health experts for any advice.
“Teething can be managed without prescription or over-the-counter remedies,” said Janet Woodcock, managing director of the FDA’s center for drug evaluation and research. We recommend parents and caregivers not give homeopathic teething tablets and gels to children and seek advice from their health care professional for safe alternatives.”
This isn’t the first time the FDA have issued an alert over the products – in 2010 they found irregular amounts of belladonna, a perennial herbaceous plant used as a homeopathic pain reliever, in teething tablets and the irregular amounts of toxicity was cause for concern. The discovery caused Hyland to change its production process.
Hyland’s stated on the current situation: “We hope to learn from the FDA what facts, if any, it has based its action on. We remain confident that Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets remain safe. Of course, parents who may have concerns should consult with their physicians before using any medicines, read labels carefully and follow all instructions. The safety and effectiveness of Hyland’s natural homeopathic medicines is our top priority. That’s why we work with regulators to ensure that our products meet the highest standards. If we ever had reason to be concerned of that safety, we would act immediately.’
The main advice for teething babies is to use a teething ring or massaging their gums gently with a clean finger.
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