Petition to Ban Harmful Teething Remedies

The problem: Treatments come with risks. That’s why it’s important not to get something like a root canal procedure done before you understand the costs, the risks, and whether or not the procedure is necessary, as Smile Care Dental explains.
The same logic extends to taking care of a baby’s health. Teething pain is both common and uncomfortable for babies and young children, so parents look for remedies. The problem is where they look: online.
Doing research online can lead parents to all sorts of potentially dangerous teething remedies. Teething necklaces are a common one, and in 2018 the FDA issued a statement recommending against the use of said necklaces after they were linked to a number of deaths. Turns out they are a potential choking hazard.
Belladonna is a common ingredient found in homeopathic teething medication. But it can be a deadly poison if too much of it is ingested by accident. Other teething medications can be dangerous even if the right dose is used — medications containing benzocaine fit that description, as the substance can cause methemoglobinemia, a potentially deadly side effect.
The solution: These remedies should either be made harder to buy or banned entirely. Adding warning labels to some of them can help make sure parents are making informed decisions, but there is no good reason for the sale of these remedies when there are safe treatments for teething pain available in the market.