By Mary Otto
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Jan. 27 warning about homeopathic teething tablets follows a 2016 announcement after investigators concluded that new reports of adverse events showed similarities to cases observed back in 2010 when the agency cautioned consumers against using one popular brand, Hyland’s Teething Tablets.
“Hyland’s Teething Tablets are manufactured to contain a small amount of belladonna, a substance that can cause serious harm at larger doses,” the FDA said back then. “For such a product, it is important that the amount of belladonna be carefully controlled.”
Following the 2016 warning, national pharmacy chain CVS announced a voluntary recall of all brands of homeopathic teething products and removed them from store shelves.
In November, Raritan Pharmaceuticals, a contract manufacturer for Homeolab USA, said that it also was voluntarily recalling homeopathic teething and earache remedies containing belladonna extract due to the potential for variation in the content of belladonna extract in the products. Hyland’s earlier had issued a press release defending the safety of its products.
How Teething Works
The teething process begins when teeth, which start developing below the gum line before birth, start pushing through a baby’s gums. Teething usually begins at about six months of age and can continue through most of the first three years, until all 20 deciduous (baby) teeth have emerged. The American Dental Association provides a helpful chart of the baby teeth in order of their appearance.
The gums around emerging teeth may become tender or swollen, and discomfort may last for several days. A small elevation in temperature may accompany teething, but a fever is a sign of another problem, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
“As your baby’s teeth are coming through, she may also have a very slight increase in temperature,” the AAP said. “But if her temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or above, it’s not because of teething. If your baby has symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea while teething, consult your pediatrician to find out whether she has a medical condition requiring treatment.”
Questioning Cures
Homeopathy, also known as homeopathic medicine, is based upon a 200-year old system of alternative medicine developed in Germany.
Homeopathy has staunch defenders, but the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has concluded, “There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific condition.”
For information on the center’s findings, check out this fact sheet.
Safer Care
In a Sept. 30 statement alerting consumers to new concerns about homeopathic teething remedies, Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, urged parents to find alternative ways to soothe children suffering teething pains.
“Teething can be managed without prescription or over-the-counter remedies,” Woodcock said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a variety of simple comforts for teething infants and toddlers, such as chilled washcloths. The organization also has warned against the use of homeopathic remedies, as well as amber teething beads and benzocaine gels, to treat teething pains in young children.
An Age-Old Dilemma
“Teething is one of the most common sources of parental concern in the world of pediatric medicine. All children go through it, typically starting at about 6 months of age, and the current list of signs and symptoms attributed to the eruption of teeth in infants is long and varied,” summarized Massachusetts pediatrician Clay Jones in an informative and entertaining 2013 piece for sciencebasedmedicine.org.
