Parents, There Could Be a Highly Toxic Substance in Your Child's Teething Remedies

While many parents think to alleviate their children's teething pain with homeopathic remedies, the Food and Drug Administration is strongly warning against it. The FDA has found the toxic chemical belladonna in homeopathic teething products sold at popular pharmacies.

Belladonna is an incredibly toxic hallucinogen and can be fatal for children. Consumption can cause "seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating, or agitation," as reported in the press release.

"The body's response to belladonna in children under two years of age is unpredictable and puts them at unnecessary risk," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center For Drug Evaluation and Research. "We recommend that parents and caregivers not give these homeopathic teething tablets to children and seek advice from their health care professional for safe alternatives."

The FDA reported that although the products advertise relieving teething pain, the agency is not even sure of their benefits and recommends discarding them immediately.

In October 2016, the FDA warned parents to discard homeopathic teething tablets and gels made by CVS and Hyland's after it was found they caused seizures in infants and children. Now it's been reported that the makers of Hyland's products have refused to issue a recall, which has prompted the FDA to release this warning.

Parents, please be careful and make sure you are not giving your teething child any of these products.