teething

Marketing normal development manufactures a problem in need of a solution, which typically appears in the form of an expensive product. As a result, the vulnerability and fears of new parents get most exploited.
Ours is a culture that prioritizes instant gratification, and is instinctually reflexive about taking a pill or other fix immediately to end pain. When, actually, it is pain that can in a number of conditions be our greatest gift.
A dearth of truth in medical advertising is probably our greatest public health threat. With consumers bombarded by spurious claims, our agencies need to be proactive, not reactive in protecting the public.  
Society often pathologizes normal development. When this is done, a medicine must be made for treatment (needed or not). The FDA recently called out a group of over-the-counter drugs for being harmful and without benefit for infant teething.
When the best female tennis player in history asks for teething advice, we're happy to oblige. Unfortunately, there's only one thing that can be done to help with a baby's teething – and it's probably not what you think.                   
A story involving a toxic teething product is being made public by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this time it's not a part of the ongoing FDA investigation into homeopathic teething tablets that have been shown to contain high levels of belladonna.
The Standard Homeopathic Co. issued a voluntary recall of its teething products, sold under the name Hyland, after the FDA repeatedly cited concerns over inconsistent – and excessive – levels of Belladonna, a toxic chemical. 
Continuing our 12 Days of Christmas series, we dedicate Day 5 to homeopathic products – which can be found in the aisles of almost every pharmacy. However, over the course of this past year, one in particular found itself more and more in the news – and less and less on the shelves.
Many homeopathic products have been targeted with warnings or recalled in the last few months, primarily because they contain varying amounts of ingredients -- with some being highly toxic. Here we explore the ingredients in one of these troubling products. 
In 2012 the FDA warned parents against using products containing the local anesthetic benzocaine to relieve their infants teething pain. Today the agency extended that advisory to viscous lidocaine another local anesthetic.