Source: CNN
By By Hailey Middlebrook, CNN
(CNN)Raritan Pharmaceuticals has issued a recall of kids’ homeopathic ear relief liquid and teething tablets. The recalled products contain varying levels of belladonna extract, which can be dangerous or fatal when consumed in large doses, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
The recalled Raritan products include CVS Homeopathic Infants’ Teething Tablets, Kids Relief Homeopathic Ear Relief Oral Liquid and CVS Homeopathic Kids’ Ear Relief Liquid, which are sold nationwide. The products, tested by the FDA, were found to contain small but varying amounts of belladonna.
According to the agency, the recall is precautionary. There have been no reports of the recalled products directly harming consumers.
Kids Relief Ear Homeopathic Ear Relief Oral Liquid is among the recalled items.
“The recall is a precautionary action,” confirmed Sushant Pradhan, a Raritan Pharmaceuticalsrepresentative. He said the recalled products contain only about a nanogram of belladonna, which is “not toxic to anybody.” However, the company has not received the recent belladonna test results from the FDA, according to Pradhan.
This fall, the FDA warned against using homeopathic teething tablets and gels after 10 deaths were reported. Though the causes of the deaths were not certain, the agency suggested that the homeopathic products contained potentially harmful amounts of belladonna, a toxin from a poisonous plant called deadly nightshade.
Typically, the homeopathic treatments contain just trace amounts of the toxin — a level that is supposed to be safe to consume. However, belladonna poisoning can occur when too much is ingested. Seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy and excessive sleepiness are symptoms of belladonna poisoning, according to the FDA.
When belladonna amounts are inconsistently labeled on treatments, the administration warned, children can be unknowingly exposed to dangerous doses. After the FDA’s warning was released, retailers such as CVS and Walgreens withdrew the suspect homeopathic teething tablets and gels from store shelves, though the products were not officially recalled before now.
Categories: Health, Homeopathy, The Muslim Times