Under certain conditions, benzocaine can trigger a rare and sometimes fatal blood condition called methemoglobinemia which causes dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood with resulting symptoms of ashen, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips and fingernail beds, shortness of breath, headache, light-headedness and rapid heart rate possible.
Problems with benzocaine were first announced in 2006 and since then, 29 cases of methemoglobinemia have been reported 19 of which were in children and 15 of those in children under 2.
Another warning for the active ingredient in baby teething gels occurred in 2011.
The scary symptoms triggered by benzocaine in baby teething gels can occur within minutes or even hours. Methemoglobinemia can occur the first time the product is used or much later after several uses even when the child appeared fine previously.
Of course, if your child experiences any of these symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.
A better course of action would be to avoid use of these dangerous baby teething gels and utilize non-toxic teething remedies that are safe and effective with no risk of fatal blood conditions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a chilled teething ring or gently massaging your child’s gums with your finger as alternative ways to provide relief.
While these methods may seem safer, I personally didn’t want my children chomping on plastic. Chewing on a synthetic substance might introduce another chemical danger like BPA to their vulnerable little bodies. Swapping one chemical cocktail (teething gels) for another (plastic) isn’t a smart idea.
Massaging the gums does help but is not always practical. For example, if you are trying to get your baby to sleep and (s)he won’t lie still due to teething discomfort, this approach is not going to work!
Homeopathy as a Teething Remedy
They also dissolve with no chewing, so even babies with no teeth can easily take them. As a bonus, homeopathic teething pills are quite inexpensive like many homeopathic remedies I’ve used.
I can’t tell you how many times I had a crying, fussy child in discomfort from teething pain who calmed down and went to sleep within minutes of having a couple of these tiny homeopathic pills placed under the tongue!
My husband and I used to call this homeopathic teething remedy “magic pills” because of how amazingly fast and effective they were. For any homeopathy doubters out there, the effect is not placebo either. A baby who is still nonverbal wouldn’t even know what this meant!
So skip the dangerous, over the counter gels and other teething remedies containing benzocaine and other toxic chemicals to soothe your irritable child.
Try homeopathy instead. Hopefully, you will be as delighted as we were with the nontoxic, effective results!
It’s certainly worth a shot!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source
FDA Warns About Benzocaine in Baby Teething Gels
More Information on Nutrition and Oral Health
How I Healed My Child’s Cavity
Toddler’s Severe Tooth Decay Halted in 5 Days
Whiten Your Teeth Without Dangerous Chemicals
Resolving Periodontal Problems with Bone Broth
Coconut Oil Stops Strep Bacteria from Damaging Tooth Enamel
What is the True Cause of Crooked Teeth?
10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
Avoiding Root Canals with Diet Alone
Old days report: Paregoric was a very common teething remedy. When I was in college (1947) I couldn’t have gotten through wisdom teeth without it. Used it for my kids too. One day my litte Peter was on his back in the playpen and I leaned in to rub paregoric on his gums. I had put the little bottle in my shirt pocket and didn’t realize the cap was loose. As I bent over, a stream of paregoric poured down into his open crying mouth! I thought I’d killed him – one of many times I was sure I’d killed one of my kids.
Paregoric was also an ingredient in a marvelous anti-diarrhea/flu medicine – 1 tablespoon worked in instants. I got really sick one time at one of my husband’s conventions. Took to my bed in the hotel but at about 4 o’clock I talked him into driving me to get some of the whatever-it-was and by 7 pm I was at the banquet and ate a wonderful meal.
Can’t do either of those any more.
I would wet my daughter’s cotton washcloths with filtered water, roll them and fold them to look like a ring, then cover them with something and place them in the freezer. She loved chomping on these.
Neglected to mention that paregoric was basically opium. Used to be easy to get, then we hd to sign for it, then it got pulled off the market.
@Tricia when my kids have a sore spot on the inside of their mouth anywhere, I put a bit of coconut oil on the end of a Q-tip and put a bit of ground cloves from the spice cabinet on the coconut oil (so it sticks nicely) and press it on the spot. Cloves relieves pain fast.
@Tricia this is best for older kids though. I prefer the homeopathic teething tablets for the younger ones.
The problem with benzocaine is parent’s overdosing their kids. Same with homeopathic remedies. If you just read and follow the directions for all medical or natural remedies you use, you will be safer than ODing your poor little baby! That goes for herbals, homeopathics, advil, tylenol, benzocaine. Just use common sense, follow the directions, and don’t overdo any remedies! Babies should not need much medicine, natural or synthetic.
I am really glad I selected the notification box on follow up comments! So many great tips! I am going to try the coconut oil on a q-tip with ground clove. We use coconut oil for just about everything! And just to go into a little more detail about the teething necklace – We also got one by “Inspired by Finn” on Amazon. We literally had a different baby after just an hour or so of wearing it. I would highly encourage taking if off their neck for sleep even though that is when parent’s want the relief the most. Ours wraps around her ankle twice and fastens perfectly and we very rarely experience her waking up with teething pain now. It has been such a blessing.
Joy, I didn’t know about amber necklaces when my kids were babies but several of my friends swear by them. Plus they’re super cute 🙂
Joy, I didn’t know about amber necklaces when my kids were babies but several of my friends swear by them. Plus they’re super cute 🙂
I just LOVE those homeopathic teething tablets……it has worked wonders on both of my girls! It is an infant staple in our home.