Working as a nanny or caretaker requires paying close attention to the latest health warnings and best practices that emerge from leaders in public health and safety such as the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Just recently the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to consumers to stop using over-the-counter teething products that contain benzocaine. It also sent letters to manufacturers asking them to stop selling the teething products. We wanted to share this breaking story from CNN which offers excellent details about the changes being implemented, the brands involved, and how you can take steps to protect the nanny kids in your care.
Nannies, parents, and caretakers might use these products to temporarily relieve a child’s teething pain, but the FDA said they pose a “serious risk” to infants and children and often are not effective since they can wash out of the mouth quickly.
The danger the products pose could come in the form of methemoglobinemia, a condition in which the oxygen level in blood dips dangerously low; it can be fatal. Symptoms include rapid heart rate, lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, sleepiness, headache, skin that is pale and nails that are blue or gray. The symptoms can start minutes after a product is used or up to one to two hours later. Babies who experience these problems should get medical attention immediately.
“Because of the lack of efficacy for teething and the serious safety concerns we’ve seen with over-the-counter benzocaine oral health products, the FDA is taking steps to stop use of these products in young children and raise awareness of the risks associated with other uses of benzocaine oral health products,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. “The FDA is committed to protecting the American public from products that pose serious safety risks, especially those with no demonstrated benefit.”
Benzocaine products are sold as gels, sprays, ointments, solutions and lozenges under brand names Anbesol, Baby Orajel, Cepacol, Chloraseptic, Hurricaine, Orabase, Orajel and Topex and as store brands and generics. Those marketed to adults can stay on the market but may need new label information.
“In addition, we also are revising the Drug Facts Label on all over-the-counter oral health care products that contain benzocaine with an intended use other than teething to emphasize that these products should not be used for teething pain or in children under 2 years of age,” the statement said. “In addition, we are adding warning statements to more clearly identify the risks and symptoms presented by methemoglobinemia, a rare but serious condition associated with the use of benzocaine.”
This is not the first warning about benzocaine from the FDA. In 2011, the agency warned consumers about the methemoglobinemia potential of the products. At the time, it estimated that there have been more than 400 cases of benzocaine-associated methemoglobinemia reported to the FDA or published in medical literature since 1971. There are probably additional cases that weren’t documented.
It’s also not the first teething product that the FDA has cautioned against. In September 2016, the agency warned parents not to use homeopathic teething tablets and gels.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has told nannies + parents to use alternatives such as hard rubber teething products and to avoid frozen teething toys, as they can injure a baby’s mouth and cause more pain. It suggests that parents can rub their babies’ gums to give them temporary relief.
Dr. Lisa Thebner, a New York-based pediatrician, said parents still ask about the products with some frequency.
“It often has the word ‘baby’ in the title, so parents will naturally reach for the product,” she said. “I will often address it when they ask, or I’ll try to address it during the well-baby checkups. I have, for a while, cautioned against topical gels because of the danger, and babies are in the population at the highest risk for harm, and if you look at the risk versus benefit, it’s not even all that helpful. Rubbing their gum or giving them something hard, like a teething ring, it will be a much bigger help.”
We recommend approaching the parents of your nanny kid with this information right away and deciding as a team how to implement any changes. To stay aware of product recalls and essential public health information, keep an eye on the FDA and AAP websites, and consider setting up Google Alerts for child-related updates.
Do you have any questions about the latest FDA warning? We’d love to hear about it – reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, and check out the other posts on the blog!
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