Some tablets and gels aimed at helping to soothe babies' teething pains may be dangerous for infants and toddlers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a statement Sept. 30. 
 
 The FDA is investigating reports of seizures in infants and children who were given homeopathic teething products, which may contain "natural" compounds but are not regulated as drugs by the FDA. 
 
 In addition, the FDA said in the statement that "consumers should seek medical care immediately if their child experiences seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating or agitation" after using homeopathic teething tablets and gels. [7 Baby Myths Debunked] 
 
 Instead of using such products, doctors recommend giving a baby a firm object to chew on. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends teething rings or hard, unsweetened teething crackers. Do not use frozen teething toys because they can cause more discomfort by injuring a baby's mouth, the AAP advises. 
 
 Homeopathy is an alternative medicine practice based on the idea that "like cures like." In homeopathy, extremely minute concentrations of toxic substances are used under the idea that they could cure the symptoms that they would cause at higher doses. 
 
 The FDA said in the statement that the agency is not aware of any proven health benefit of using homeopathic teething tablets and gels. 
 
 In 2010, the FDA issued a safety alert about a homeopathic teething tablet that contained belladonna. Belladonna — also called deadly nightshade — is a poisonous plant that contains a chemical called atropine. At high levels, atropine can be deadly. In homeopathy, it is used to treat redness and inflammation. 
 
 At the time, the FDA found that the teething tablets contained inconsistent amounts of belladonna. The company that made the tablets, Hyland, subsequently recalled the product. 
 
 "Teething can be managed without prescription or over-the-counter remedies," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the FDA statement. 
 
 Originally published on Live Science. ||||| Teething and symptoms attributed to teething are a common concern of parents. 
 
 It is important to inform parents that none of these symptoms consistently and accurately predict when teething is about to occur: 
 
 Congestion or cough 
 
 Sleep disturbance 
 
 Decreased appetite for liquids 
 
 Vomiting 
 
 Loose or increased stools 
 
 The recommended intervention for teething is the use of cold items because the cold acts as an anesthetic for the gums. 
 
 Suggested items include: 
 
 Pacifiers 
 
 Spoons 
 
 Clean wet washcloths 
 
 Frozen bagels or bananas 
 
 Refrigerated teething rings 
 
 Topical teething gels sold over-the-counter (OTC) are often used for teething. 
 
 These gels can carry serious risks, including local reactions, seizures with overdose, and methemoglobinemia. Benzocaine containing teething gels should not be used in infants or children under 2 years of age. 
 
 Methemoglobinemia: The presence of methemoglobin in the blood due to conversion of part of the hemoglobin to this inactive form . 
 
 If necessary, parents should be instructed on proper dosing of OTC analgesic medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. ||||| Celebrities have a tendency to be a little on the quirky side, but is "Clueless" star Alicia Silverstone’s unique method of feeding her 11-month-old son Bear Blu clever or, well, clueless? 
 
 The actress and animal rights activist posted a video herself feeding her son breakfast on her popular health food website TheKindLife.com over the weekend. 
 
 “I fed Bear the mochi and a tiny bit of veggies from the soup…from my mouth to his. It’s his favorite...and mine,” Silverstone wrote. “He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating. This video was taken about a month or 2 ago when he was a bit wobbly. Now he is grabbing my mouth to get the food!” 
 
 The video shows the actress taking a spoonful of food, chewing it, and then passing it open-mouth to her little one. 
 
 Which may not be such a great idea, say some medical and nutrition experts. 
 
 “There are those who think that a mom chewing a baby’s food provides helpful enzymes from her mouth but it doesn’t seem like a hygienic practice. Various viruses and bacteria, but especially herpes virus, may be passed from mother to baby,” Dr. Jennifer Landa, M.D Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “These microbes present a challenge that the infant’s immune system may not be ready for. So the practice is questionable for safety, and then, there’s a certain ick factor here that needs to be considered.” 
 
 Dallas-based family therapist Melody Brooke said the bigger question was whether it is appropriate, on a psychological level, for a toddler to be diving at their mom’s mouth for food. Mira Jacob, deputy editor of parenting site Babble.com, noted that while the concept itself isn’t all that unique, it does come across as – odd. 
 
 “A lot of moms chew a portion of their baby’s food; it’s often a very natural transition. But this just looks really funny, like Alicia is making out with her son,” Jacob mused. “There is nothing terribly wrong with it, it just looks really weird.” 
 
 Even JJ Virgin, Certified Nutrition Specialist and star of TLC’s “Freaky Eaters,” was a little freaked out. 
 
 “Sounds like she is taking eating like a bird to the extreme. While this could help predigest some of it as we start carbohydrate digestion in the mouth it could also pass along any bad oral bacteria she has too,” Virgin said. “I think a food processor and a spoon are a better bet!” 
 
 On the flipside, Heather Lounsbury, founder of LiveNaturalLiveWell.com said the Silverstone’s baby would have already been exposed to anything mom might have through being carried inside her and through her breast milk. 
 
 “I'm sure Alicia is brushing her teeth regularly as to not expose her baby to bacteria in her mouth. It is dangerous to try and live in a completely sterile environment, because it's impossible,” Lounsbury said. “And it doesn't allow for the body to fight minor infections so it can fight more serious illnesses it may be exposed to.” 
 
 The interesting feeding approach has generated mostly positive reactions from Silverstone’s blog followers. 
 
 “I had never thought of this before but it's the cutest way of feeding your baby! I have a 7 month old and I think I will try this method...she is always trying to lick my mouth anyways might as well give her a reward,” commented one fan, while another wrote that it was “so sweet.” 
 
 Jackie Keller, executive chef of Los Angeles healthy food company NutriFit still thinks such behavior would be better suited in the wild. 
 
 “I've never seen anything like this – except in the animal world where birds and some other species pre-chew their offspring's food,” she added. “I wonder what benefit there could possibly be to the child and the mom? Certainly there is no scientific literature that I'm aware of that promotes this type of behavior among humans.” 
 
 A rep for Silverstone did not respond to a request for comment.
– New parents will do almost anything to relieve their little ones' teething pain—but one thing the FDA says they shouldn't do is give their babies homeopathic teething products, Live Science reports. In a Sept. 30 statement, the FDA warns these "natural" tablets and gels found in some chain drugstores and online can pose medical risks to infants and young children, from constipation and agitation to more serious issues such as breathing problems and seizures. "Teething can be managed without prescription or over-the-counter remedies," says Janet Woodcock, director of the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Per the National Institutes of Health, homeopathy is an alternative (and little-proven) type of medical treatment that works on the theory that using tiny amounts of natural substances that usually cause ailments can actually help treat them. And for years, the FDA has been on the case of homeopathic teething tablets and gels, which aren't evaluated or approved by the agency: In 2010, it sent out an alert about Hyland's teething tablets, which contained "inconsistent" amounts of belladonna (also known as deadly nightshade), Popular Science reports. So what else are desperate parents to do? Per Live Science and the American Academy of Pediatrics, everything from hard, unsweetened teething crackers to pacifiers, clean wet washcloths, and refrigerated (not frozen) teething rings can work as soothers. In advance of the FDA's announcement, CVS announced it was pulling all homeopathic teething products, while Hyland's issued a statement saying its products are safe, per Drug Store News. (Check out the weird thing these parents discovered was causing their baby's "teething" issues.)