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. ||||| What’s the Bottom Line? 
 
 How much do we know about homeopathic products? 
 
 Many studies have evaluated homeopathic products for a variety of conditions, but there’s less research on their safety. 
 
 What do we know about the effectiveness of homeopathy? 
 
 There’s little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific health condition. 
 
 What do we know about the safety of homeopathic products? 
 
 Some products labeled as homeopathic may contain substantial amounts of active ingredients and could cause side effects and drug interactions. 
 
 What Is Homeopathy? 
 
 Homeopathy, also known as homeopathic medicine, is a medical system that was developed in Germany more than 200 years ago. It’s based on two unconventional theories: 
 
 “Like cures like”—the notion that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people 
 
 “Law of minimum dose”—the notion that the lower the dose of the medication, the greater its effectiveness. Many homeopathic products are so diluted that no molecules of the original substance remain. 
 
 Homeopathic products come from plants (such as red onion, arnica [mountain herb], poison ivy, belladonna [deadly nightshade], and stinging nettle), minerals (such as white arsenic), or animals (such as crushed whole bees). Homeopathic products are often made as sugar pellets to be placed under the tongue; they may also be in other forms, such as ointments, gels, drops, creams, and tablets. Treatments are “individualized” or tailored to each person—it’s common for different people with the same condition to receive different treatments. 
 
 Use in the United States 
 
 According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included a comprehensive survey on the use of complementary health approaches by Americans, an estimated 5 million adults and 1 million children used homeopathy in the previous year. The 2012 survey also reported that although about 1.8 percent of children used homeopathy, only 0.2 percent of children went to a homeopathic practitioner. A 2016 analysis of data from this survey suggests that most adults who use homeopathic products self-prescribe them for colds and musculoskeletal pain. 
 
 In 2016, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it will hold efficacy and safety claims for over-the-counter homeopathic drugs to the same standard as those for other products making similar claims. It further stated that companies must have the competent and reliable scientific evidence the FTC requires for health-related claims, including claims that a product can treat specific conditions. 
 
 In December 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a new risk-based enforcement approach to homeopathic products. The proposed approach would call for more careful scrutiny of products with the greatest potential for risk, including: 
 
 Those with reported safety concerns 
 
 Those that are not taken by mouth or rubbed on skin 
 
 Those for vulnerable populations 
 
 Those that do not meet legal standards for quality, strength, or purity 
 
 Those intended to be used for preventing or treating serious and/or life-threatening diseases and conditions. 
 
 What the Science Says About the Effectiveness of Homeopathy 
 
 A 2015 comprehensive assessment of evidence by the Australian government’s National Health and Medical Research Council concluded that there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition. 
 
 Homeopathy is a controversial topic. A number of its key concepts don’t agree with fundamental scientific concepts. For example, it’s not possible to explain in scientific terms how a product containing little or no active ingredient can have any effect. This, in turn, creates major challenges to rigorous clinical investigation of such products. For example, researchers cannot confirm that an extremely dilute mixture contains what is listed on the label; nor have they been able to develop objective measures that show effects of extremely dilute products in the human body. 
 
 Another research challenge is that homeopathic treatments are highly individualized, and there is no uniform prescribing standard for homeopathic practitioners. There are hundreds of different homeopathic remedies, which can be prescribed in a variety of different dilutions for thousands of symptoms. 
 
 No Evidence To Support Homeopathic Immunizations Certain homeopathic products (called “nosodes” or “homeopathic immunizations”) have been promoted by some as substitutes for conventional immunizations, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there’s no credible scientific evidence to support such claims. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for immunizations/vaccinations. To learn more about vaccines visit www.vaccines.gov. 
 
 What the Science Says About Safety and Side Effects of Homeopathy 
 
 While many homeopathic products are highly diluted, some products sold or labeled as homeopathic may not be; they can contain substantial amounts of active ingredients, which may cause side effects or drug interactions. Negative health effects from homeopathic products of this type have been reported. 
 
 A 2012 systematic review of case reports and case series concluded that using certain homeopathic products (such as those containing heavy metals like mercury or iron that are not highly diluted) or replacing an effective conventional treatment with an ineffective homeopathic one can cause adverse effects, some of which may be serious. 
 
 Liquid homeopathic products may contain alcohol. The FDA allows higher levels of alcohol in these than in conventional drugs. 
 
 Homeopathic practitioners expect some of their patients to experience “homeopathic aggravation” (a temporary worsening of existing symptoms after taking a homeopathic prescription). Researchers have not found much evidence of this reaction in clinical studies; however, research on homeopathic aggravations is scarce. Always discuss changes in your symptoms with your health care provider. 
 
 The FDA has warned consumers about different products labeled as homeopathic. For example, in 2017 it alerted consumers that some homeopathic teething tablets had excessive amounts of the toxic substance belladonna; in 2015, it warned consumers not to rely on over-the-counter asthma products labeled as homeopathic, because they are not evaluated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness. 
 
 Regulation of Homeopathic Products 
 
 Homeopathic products are regulated as drugs under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). However, under current Agency policy, the FDA does not evaluate them for safety or effectiveness. FDA enforcement policies for homeopathic drugs are described in the FDA’s Compliance Policy Guide entitled Conditions Under Which Homeopathic Drugs May be Marketed (CPG 400.400). The FDA allows homeopathic products that meet certain conditions to be marketed without agency preapproval. For example, homeopathic products must contain active ingredients that are listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS). The HPUS lists active ingredients that may be legally included in homeopathic products and standards for strength, quality, and purity of that ingredient. In addition, the FDA requires that the label on the product, outer container, or accompanying leaflet include at least one major indication (i.e., medical problem to be treated), a list of ingredients, the number of times the active ingredient was diluted, and directions for use. If a homeopathic product claims to treat a serious disease such as cancer, it must be sold by prescription. Only products for minor health problems, like a cold or headache, that go away on their own, can be sold without a prescription. 
 
 
 
 Licensing 
 
 Laws regulating the practice of homeopathy in the United States vary from state to state. Usually, individuals licensed to practice medicine or another health care profession can legally practice homeopathy. In some states, nonlicensed professionals may practice homeopathy. Arizona, Connecticut, and Nevada are the only states with homeopathic licensing boards for doctors of medicine (holders of M.D. degrees) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (holders of D.O. degrees). In 15 states, a section of the naturopathic medical board examinations is on homeopathy. 
 
 
 
 More to Consider ||||| 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.
– 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.)