Concern over Illness Leads to Teething Products Recall
Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert warning consumers about homeopathic teething tablets and gels because they believe that products containing belladonna may present a serious health risk to infants and small children, especially in large or heavily concentrated doses. They warned parents, guardians, and other consumers to dispose of any such products immediately. In particular, they pointed to products distributed by CVS and Hyland’s, but they suggested there will likely be others.
According to the safety alert, the FDA is warning that children using these products can experience serious side effects. The list of possible symptoms is long, including agitation, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin irritation and redness, constipation, difficulty urinating, difficulty breathing, or even seizures. The first side effect is dry mouth, so parents should pay attention to that as a sign of potential problems to come. The agency has undertaken a full investigation into these products.
In response to the FDA warning, CVS Pharmacy yesterday announced that it has voluntarily recalled all brands of homeopathic teething products. It has also pulled from sale all such products in its retail stores and sold online at CVS.com. This voluntary recall includes all homeopathic teething products from Hyland’s and Orajel, as well as its own store brand. Here is a list of all products being recalled by CVS:
• Baby Orajel Naturals Gel for Teething Pain, .33 oz
• Baby Orajel Naturals Gel for Teething Pain Nighttime Formula, .33 oz
• Baby Orajel Naturals Tablets for Teething Pain, 125 Count
• CVS Homeopathic Infant’s Teething Tablet, 135 Count
• CVS Homeopathic Infants’ Teething Liquid, .85 oz
• Hyland’s Baby Nighttime Teething Tablets, 135 Count
• Hyland’s Baby Teething Gel, .5 oz
• Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets, 13 Count
• Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets, 135 Count
• Hyland’s Teething Gel, .33 oz
In addition to pulling these products from sale, all of them are marked as “do not sell” at the registers. Consumers who purchased these products at CVS are being asked to either dispose of them or to bring them back to the store for a full refund. At the same time, Hyland’s issued a statement of their own, saying, “…we are confident that Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets remain safe.” They also noted that its facilities are GMP compliant. They said that that belladonna is only present in trace amounts in its teething tablets and they stated, “A child would have to eat multiple bottles at once to experience the first side effect of belladonna, which is typically dry mouth.” The problem with that is, this isn’t the first time the FDA has expressed concern over homeopathic teething tablets and gels, as they issued a similar safety alert in 2010.
Parents with infants want to protect their children from all risks, and if a doctor doesn’t prescribe a product, it might not be worth the risk. Despite that, however, manufacturers and sellers of baby products have a responsibility to make them as safe as possible. If your child has become sick after using a product made for young children, take them to a doctor first and then see the Defective Baby Products Lawyer at Hill Law Firm as soon as possible, so that we can investigate and make things right for you and your child.