The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned parents on the dangers of using Hyland's teething products that contain the toxic substance called belladona. Hyland's teething products are considered homeopathic, but the items have been discontinued in October last year by its maker, the Standard Homeopathic Co.
Babies suffering from the growing pains of their first teeth have been given homeopathic products since the 1900s. A safety alert versus these teething tablets, however, has been issued by the FDA in 2010 against Hyland's. The warning came after the company's laboratory tests showed irregular levels of belladona in their teething products.
"We discontinued it because we are committed to our moms and our dads who choose to trust us to put medicines in their young infants' mouths," said Mary C. Borneman, a spokeswoman for Hyland's, according to CNN. "We didn't want to put them in a place between the FDA warning and us saying the product was safe and having to decide who to trust," she added.
FDA Spokesperson Lyndsay Meyer said they have already received over 400 cases of serious incidents linked to the use of teething products with belladona. The FDA has reported links between the products and the death of 10 children. They could not yet determine, however, if the products can be directly blamed for the deaths.
Reports show that the teething products contained exceeded amounts of belladona that was not properly indicated on the label, as per WCPO. The FDA said the company producing the teething products has maintained that it is safe to use despite the recall. Meanwhile, the agency is urging parents to consult their doctors if they want to look for alternative teething products.
Belladona is an herbal medicine used in Italy to make women's eyes more beautiful, according to WebMD. It is also used as a remedy for whooping cough and the common cold. Despite being tagged as poisonous, beladdona has often been used to treat Parkinson's disease.
