Thankfully when it came to pregnancy and parenting, I did my research ahead of time. However, I still sometimes find myself overwhelmed by the list of choices to be made. There are the daily choices that are relatively easy like how to dress my son for the day, how to react when he has a mild tantrum, what to feed him and then what else I can feed him after he throws the original meal on the floor...
There are also the larger scale choices like breastfeeding or formula feeding, immunizations, cord-blood banking, sleep solutions and other individual scenarios.
Then there are what seem like no-brainer choices. Child is running a fever, give them Tylenol; child is enduring extreme teething pain on a regular basis try the most natural remedy available.
Sadly, in both of those cases we've faced recalls. By now everyone is familiar with the Tylenol recall. As a mother who trusted in their product I was furious that we had gone through 2 bottles of the affected medicines.
Recently the FDA has banned Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets. I found myself feeling the same disappointment and anger in yet another company I trusted to make a product to help, not harm, my baby. I had chosen these tablets in an effort to not over medicate my constantly teething son. I chose them over numbing gels as there's known side effects.
Yesterday a friend shared this article with me on Facebook. Now I'm not sure what to think or who to believe on this issue. I do know we'll surely stop using the teething tablets we currently have, it's not worth any risk there might be. But for the future of what the FDA could recall, I'm not sure how much weight I can put in their decisions.
So, now some choices that seemed easy from the beginning have become a bit more complicated. What do you think? If you've used these products, how have the recalls affected you + your family?
Same thing with me. I was upset about the recall and a friend pointed me to that same link. I'm not really sure what to think now.
ReplyDeleteAlthough in all fairness, even though there was that massive formula recall, I'm still feeding my son formula.
Perhaps this recall will be a good thing. Perhaps Hylands will monitor how they make their pills better and make them safer for our children. I do hope it won't put them out of business, though.
Tell me more about the side effects of teething gels.
ReplyDeleteI too didn't want to over medicate my son. I've taken pride in the fact that we only used acetaminophen after Liam's re-circumcision surgery. In an effort to keep from over medicating him, we've been using other methods. Such as cold teething toys, numbing gel, and the teething tablets that have sadly now been recalled.
I feel helpless now. Not only do I have about half a bottle of expensive teething tablets left, but Liam only has 4 teeth in. He has a lot more teething to do. I suppose I'll have to use acetaminophen. Luckily, the brand we purchased was the Kroger brand, and not Tylenol.
My poor baby boy has also awaken in the middle of the night the last couple of nights screaming. I'm sure his teeth are bothering him. Brent was able to calm Liam both times and get him back to sleep, but we'll likely need to use acetaminophen if the pain gets worse.
Anna-
ReplyDeleteTeething gels– there are various over-the-counter gels, pastes, or liquids that numb the gums. Pat the gums dry with a washcloth, then apply a small amount only on the area of the gums that is bulging. There are several drawbacks to these, so we suggest you only use them as a last resort:
They taste terrible
They travel throughout the mouth in the saliva and can numb the tongue and lips
It is easy to use too much
Baby may swallow too much
A note on teething gels: Experts caution against the excessive use of teething gels as they contain benzocaine. There is a risk of allergic reaction. In addition, benzocaine can cause numbing of the throat and could lead to choking. Consult your doctor if you want to help relieve your child's pain with benzocaine.
Info from askdrsears.com
I am with you, I really am. It is tough and I do not like to take any risks with Jack ever.
ReplyDeleteLike I had mentioned before, we have used the Target brand of medications since a little before the big recall and after talking to my pharmacist friend. We don't give it to him for any little thing but when he is clearly uncomfortable or has a fever we give it to him. Perhaps this is considered a risk, maybe target brands will be recalled as well but so far they have been the medicine left on the shelves it seems.
Maybe the whole (almost) everything in moderation is a safe route to take?
I too, try to find natural remedies for the smaller things. There is just so much info out there that it almost always feels like a gamble.