The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a public warning on Friday, September 30 on the use of homeopathic teething tablets and gels because they may pose a risk to infants and children.
The FDA outlines the possible complications in using the products that can include “seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating or agitation.”
Janet Woodcock, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said in a press release, according to Healio, “Teething can be managed without a prescription or over-the-counter remedies.” She went on to say that parents and caregivers should seek advice from their healthcare professional on safer remedies.
The problem surrounding the sale of homeopathic remedies sold in retail stores like CVS, Hyland’s, including online sales, is that the ingredients in the teething tablets and gels have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safety or efficacy, nor is the FDA aware of any proven health benefits derived from the use of the products.
When looking into the ingredients in many homeopathic over-the-counter teething remedies, consumers can see that the ingredients are indeed what appears to be safe, natural herbal products, like Calcarea Phosphorica, 12X HPUS. Chamomilla, 6X HPUS. Coffea Cruda, 6X HPUS.
But it’s the inactive ingredients that even have some herbalists concerned. As the Growing up Herbal website points out, once you look into the ingredients, “you may find that it’s not really as natural or good for your baby as you once thought.”
And there is a whole list of these inactive ingredients in teething products and they are not what most of us would consider to be natural. Some are carcinogenic, like Sodium Benzoate, and one, Hydroxyethylcellulose, causes allergic reactions. Also, sodium Benzoate is produced synthetically and its primary use is in cosmetics. As some people might say, “That ain’t natural.”
