Bogus homeopathic teething remedies implicated in deaths of 10 babies, US health overseer says

At least 10 babies have died and 400 children have developed serious illnesses after being treated for teething pain with homeopathic remedies, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

The FDA launched an investigation into the natural remedies after receiving a “comprehensive report” about an infant who suffered a seizure after the gel was applied to the child’s gums, said spokeswoman Lyndsay Meyer.

The news was first reported this morning in BuzzFeed.

During the past six years, hundreds of infants have suffered a number of adverse health effects after being treated with the questionable cures. Ailments linked to the homeopathic substances also included fevers, shortness of breath, lethargy, constipation, vomiting, sleeplessness, agitation and irritability. Homeopathy has no foundation in science.

The FDA is strongly advising parents to throw away any homeopathic teething remedies they might be using for their children.

“We’re not limiting our alert to any one product,” Meyer told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We’re making the alerts about all homeopathic teething products.”

Most homeopathic remedies often contain nothing but water. But several brands of the infant teething products contain belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade. The substance is used in infinitesimally small amounts to allegedly help ease redness and inflammation.