FDA: Homeopathic teething products may harm children

Federal officials are warning parents not to give their children homeopathic teething tablets or gels as they may be linked to seizures and other health issues.

Consumers should stop using such products and dispose of them, according to a new warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Teething can be managed without prescription or over-the-counter remedies,” FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director Janet Woodcock, M.D., said in a news release. “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.”

The products are distributed by CVS, Hyland’s and possibly others, and are sold in retail stores and online. The FDA warned consumers about one such product in 2010 and is investigating reported seizures and other adverse events as well as testing product samples.

Parents should seek immediate medical care if their child has seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating or agitation after using the tablets or gels.

Health care professionals and patients can report adverse side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report or by calling 800-332-1088.