Are Teething tablets safe?

How safe are homeopathic teething tablets?

Recently, a parent expressed safety concerns regarding Homeopathic teething tablets.  The parent said her pediatrician warned against using them because they contain an ingredient called belladonna, a plant whose leaves and berries are toxic. The pediatrician said that without conclusive research on it's effects he could not recommend using it.

As always, WeePlay's goal is to provide up-to-date, accurate, and reliable information. We understand how challenging deciphering hearsay from fact can be, especially when making decisions about your child's health and well-being. A parent's instincts are valuable and reliable but with so many sources freely offering advice, even the most discerning parents can begin questioning themselves. When this happens, the best place to start is with your child's pediatrician. Next, gather as much reliable information as possible; The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is one source with a proven and reliable tract record. When you have the pieces together, making your decisions will become easier and seeing the best option for your family will become clearer.  However, WeePlay by no means recommends anyone base their decisions solely upon our suggestions. Nor is this information designed to take the place of your pediatrician.  We are simply supplying information for you to use in conjunction with the information provided by your pediatrician.

What are the ingredients in Hyland's & Humphrey's Teething Tablets #3?

(Hyland's & Humphrey Teething Pellets #3 are the two major brands). 

The following ingredients are found in most homeopathic teething tablets: 

Calcarea Phosphorica; a natural salt that assists the body in the absorption of calcium.

Coffea Cruda; a natural herb used for sleeplessness, alcohol withdrawal support and teething (contains no caffeine).

Belladonna; also known as "deadly nightshade," and used for centuries because of the anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects. This is the opiate that caused such concern. It is 0.0003% Alkaloids which is the amount in the tablets. 

Chamomilla; a natural wild flower often used in teas for because of the calming effects.

The tablets are in a base of Lactose (milk & sugar). 

What is Belladonna?

Belladonna also commonly referred to as "Deadly Nightshade," has been used in cosmetics and medicines dating back as far as the Roman Empire. The name belladonna translates to "beautiful lady," because Italian women used the juice of the belladonna berry to enlarge their pupils, giving them a striking appearance. 

Though belladonna leaves are poisonous and regarded as unsafe, they are often for used medicinal purposes because of their powerful antispasmodic agent. Some common uses are: for intestinal colic, as a sedative, to stop bronchial spasms in asthmatic patients, for whooping cough, as a cold and hay fever remedy, for Parkinson's disease, motion sickness, and as a painkiller. Belladonna has also been used in skin ointments for rheumatism, joint and leg pain, sciatica, and nerve pain (neuralgia). It has even been used for treating psychiatric disorders, behavior disorders, and hyperkinesis.

Now that you know what belladonna is, the history, and uses, it's important to understand exactly what happened regarding it's use in teething pellets, and what the FDA's opinion is. 

The FDA'S opinion

The FDA announced that Standard Homeopathic Company had voluntarily recalled assorted packages of Hyland's Teething Tablets. Standard Homeopathic, a company based out of Los Angeles, released a statement, "after in-depth analysis, a comprehensive review of the company's adverse events report log, and more that 85 years of safe usage, the company is confident that Hyland's Teething Tablets are safe for infants and toddlers."

Humphrey's All Natural Teething Pellets #3 has been around since 1854. The amount of belladonna contained is  .0003 percent. The company says that although there have been adverse events alleged, no conclusive link to the products have been determined. The FDA acknowledged reports of children who consumed more tablets than recommended, because the containers didn't have child resistant caps, which could have been the result of the reported problems. They have stated that they identified the process for manufacturing the tablets and can ensure improved uniformity of dosage. The recall was out of an abundance of caution.The FDA clearly states that it has not ever evaluated Hyland's for safety or efficacy and is not aware of any proven clinical benefit offered by the product. 

Solutions

Teething is a difficult time, often leaving parents at their wits end. When I spoke with the pediatrician's office they said, "using the teething tablets would not be unsafe, if the recommended dosage was used. For parents who need absolute proof, until more is known about belladonna, proven pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the safest bets."  It is also important to remember that many medications, even those which are FDA approved, contain ingredients that could prove to be fatal if used improperly. 

Thoughts?

We would love to know your thoughts, what has worked for your family, and whether you used the teething tablets in the past and how you feel about them today. 

Miss Tammy's WeePlay in Tampa

 

Why is Block Play important?

During WeePlay Classes we often talk about the significance of play and it's impact on growth and development.  In fact, WeePlay's motto is, "Play While You Learn, and Learn While You Play!" And while this may seem like a new concept to some, it is in fact one that dates back as far as Plato Laws in 4th century BC. Plato is discussing the impact of play and states that the "Future builders must first play at building, and those who have the care of their education should provide them when young with mimic tools." Once parents appreciate the significance of play, the logical next step which many of you have been asking, : "what types of toys have the greatest developmental impact?" One type which is most often used in WeePlay Developmental classes are Blocks. 

Block play is a staple in any good child care setting.  In the Beginnings Workshop, "Block Play,"  Stuart Reifel, provides practical suggestions for supporting beneficial block play, as well as conveying these benefits of the activity:

"We know from years of research and teaching that children develop as they play with blocks.  All children begin by exploring the qualities of blocks, including size, shape, weight, texture, and color.  When a teacher talks about those qualities while children are exploring, it gives children valuable language that is linked to their experiences.  Teacher talk also lets children know that what they are doing with blocks is valued.  As children begin to put blocks together, they begin to learn about length, height, volume, physical space, and the power they can feel as they control it. By creating shapes with blocks, we begin to see how we give shape to our lives." 

If given the early opportunity to have block playtime, by the time a child reach preschool, their block play begins to take on a whole new meaning. While is may appear that your child is simply creating shapes, they are actually deciding that what they have made is a spaceship or a dollhouse.  Piaget tells us that block play at this stage is a type of symbolic representation.  Through play children are re-creating things that are important to them, whether those meanings relate to home and family, farms and animals, or spaceships and monsters.  The significance of block play is that it shows us what our children are thinking about. And the gift is, when we know what they are thinking, then that we can enrich their experiences. 

For unique and creative ideas to enrich your child's block play-time, feel free to contact WeePlay at: weeplaytampa@gmail.com

When do babies crawl?

To answer this question, it's important to address several factors.
Consider the Source:
Depending upon where you obtain your information, you'll receive a variety of responses ranging from 6 to 12 months. If you read the "what to expect" book, which most parents have, you'll find the range between 6 and 9 months. However, this answer was based on a time prior to the "back to sleep" campaign. Since 1993 babies have spent less time on their tummies and thus the crawling range has been considerably altered. If you look to the experts; AAP guidelines (American Academy of Pediatrics), the answer is between 8 and 12 months.
Your Expectations:
It's also important to break this answer down so parents have a better understanding of crawling and the expectations for crawling:

• Approximately 50% of babies do some form of crawling* by 7 months
• About 75% by 10 months
• 90% by 12 months

"Some form of crawling" means; bear crawl - hands & feet, military drag - using forearms and dragging body, One-legged - scooting around in a half-sitting position with one leg tucked under and one leg positioned on knee, downward-facing dog-yoga style position where bum is high in the air & baby is on hands & feet, or traditional crawl - on hands & knees.
All Babies are Unique!
Every Baby will master each developmental skill uniquely and in their own time. Some babies are content to sit and play with toys placed in front of them. Others seem to be driven to explore. Some babies are reserved and prefer to be observers. It is so important to spend time just playing with your baby, getting to know him/her and appreciating who they are and what motivates them.
Understand the Times. 
It's also important to understand babies spend far less time on their tummies than they used to. Prior to the "Back to Sleep" campaign, parents placed their babies on their stomachs to play, for exercise, and even to sleep. Now we know that it's best not to have baby sleep on their stomachs and some parents are even reluctant to give baby that very important "tummy time." As a baby grows and is able to roll over it becomes almost impossible to keep them on their stomachs. However, in order to crawl, babies must have "tummy time" so they are capable of building their upper body strength and can develop the ability to reach and grasp for objects in front of them.
Know your Options!
In the WeePlay Crawlers Developmental classes of Tampa, parents learn so many different "tummy-time" alternatives that most babies need very little traditional "tummy-time." Once parents and caregivers learn the WeePlay PT's (positions & toys), crawling is only a matter of weeks away!

Miss Tammy