FDA issues new warning about using pain-relieving drugs on teething babies

The pain and irritation of teething is a normal part of babyhood. On average, a child between 6 months and 3 years usually grows one new tooth a month.

So if you’re caring for a child or grandchild who’s teething, you might be tempted to use a numbing drug to ease their pain.

Well, don’t!

The FDA has just put out a new warning about these kinds of medications. It said that “topical pain relievers and medications that are rubbed on the gums (of children) are not necessary or even useful” — and can be dangerous.

There have been 22 reported cases of serious reactions, including death, in babies who had viscous lidocaine rubbed on their gums for mouth pain. As a result, the FDA will now be requiring a boxed warning added to lidocaine products about that risk.

Use of this drug can lead to seizures, vision problems, difficulty swallowing, choking and breathing in food. It can even affect a baby’s heart and nervous system.

The FDA previously warned about applying benzocaine drugs to a teething toddlers’ gums. It said that it can result in a rare but serious condition that reduces blood oxygen levels. Most at risk, it said, are children under 2.

What it recommends is using a chilled teething ring or giving the baby a cool washcloth to chew on. But such items should not be ice cold, and children should be monitored to prevent choking.

Or, you can do what my parents did…a drop of Scotch on my gums and a couple fingers of it in their glasses.

Sources:
“Oral lidocaine for teething pain may cause harm, FDA says” Megan Brooks, June 26, 2014, Medscape, medscape.com