A recent study has raised the issue of herbal supplement teas being given to infants. The data are based on questionnaire responses from over 2000 healthy mothers who answered questions about their pregnancy and their child’s first year of life. The most commonly used supplements included gripe water, given for colic, chamomile teething tablets, an unspecified types of tea.
It all sounds so harmless, doesn’t it? Until you realize that the herbal supplements industry is not regulated in the same way as pharmaceuticals. This means that the ingredients listed on the label do not necessarily match what is actually in the product. Thus infants could be exposed to heavy metals or various other contaminants. Even if the product is just fine, it is possible that it could cause adverse effects if given while your infant is taking medication prescribed by the doctor.
As always, consult your doctor before taking anything yourself, or giving it to your child.
To read more, click here, or go to JAMA, June 1, 2011 – Vol. 305, No. 21, p. 2161.
-–Cynthia Haggard is a medical writer by day, and a novelist by night.. To see more about her medical writing business, go to clarifyingconcepts. To see more about her creative writing, go to spunstories.com (c) 2011 All rights reserved.
