Homeopathic Teething Products May Be Risky For Children: FDA

Apparently, teething is a challenge to babies and parents. But while it's tempting for the latter to purchase over-the-counter products offering "natural" treatment, doing so is not advisable. Just recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned parents against using homeopathic teething products. Experts cited possible risks of using teething gels and tablets and prompted CVS Health Corp Inc to withdraw these items.

According to Fox News, the FDA is testing product samples and analyzing reports that link them to infant and children seizures starting 2010. Following the announcement of FDA, CVS likewise announced its voluntary withdrawal of their products.

CBS News reported that homeopathic teething gels and tablets have not yet undergone evaluation and earned approval for efficacy and safety as emphasized by FDA. The agency also said it is not aware about the products' proven health benefits if there is any.

In connection to the investigation done by the FDA, it has found that the teething tablets produced by Hyland, another company, contained belladonna in inconsistent amounts. The substance can be seriously harmful at larger doses. In fact, there have been reports connecting the products with belladonna toxicity.

According to Dr. Janet Woodcock, parents and caregivers should not give children homeopathic teething gels and tablets. Instead, they should ask the advice and recommendations of their health care providers. She likewise said that teething can be manageable even without using prescribed and over-the-counter remedies. Woodcock is FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director.

While parents want to help ease the pain felt by their children, it is indeed best not to risk those little ones' health by using unsafe homeopathic teething products. It is always best to ask for safe alternatives from reputable health care professionals.

CVS and Hyland distribute homeopathic teething products, and customers can easily find them in retail stores and online. As of writing, more information about these products has yet to be discovered; but FDA promised to tell the public when more details become available.