FDA Confirms Toxicity of Homeopathic Baby Products; Maker Refuses To Recall (arstechnica.com)

Last year in November, the Federal Trade Commission issued an enforcement policy statement that requires over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic drugs and product makers to disclose in their advertisement and labeling that there is no evidence that homeopathic products are effective. At around the same time the FTC issued the statement, the Food and Drug Administration was investigating homeopathic teething gels and tablets, which may have been improperly diluted, thus causing serious harm to infants. The FDA investigated 10 infant deaths and more than 400 reports of seizures, fever, and vomiting and confirmed Friday that belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, was the prime suspect. When the FDA notified the products' maker, Hyland's, the company would not agree to recall the products. Ars Technica reports: Hyland's has been defensive since the FDA first opened the investigation last September. In an October press release, the company referred to agency's warnings as a source of "confusion" and assured consumers that the products are safe and effective. Still, the company discontinued distribution in the U.S. The National Center for Homeopathy, which has ties with Hyland's, slammed the FDA, calling the agency's warnings "arbitrary and capricious." In an "action alert," the organization went on to suggest that warning was prompted by "groups interested in seeing homeopathy destroyed" and led to "fear mongering" by the media. As before, the FDA is urging parents to avoid the homeopathic teething products and toss any already purchased. The FDA does not evaluate or approve the homeopathic products, which have no proven health benefit. Belladonna is an active ingredient in those products, but is supposed to be heavily diluted. Homeopaths belief that ailments and diseases can be cured by trace amounts or "memories" of toxic substances that mimic or cause similar symptoms. Homeopathy is a pseudoscience that has been squarely debunked, offering no more than a placebo effect. In its announcement Friday, the FDA said it had found inconsistent amounts of belladonna in Hyland's products. Some of the amounts were "far exceeding" what was intended.

Comments

Re:I know it's fun to make fun of Homeopathy

[MightyMartian]

I think the United States will be lucky if there is an FDA. Remember, it's all about deregulation now. Who needs food safety anyways? Only fucking Commies.

Inevitable and unavoidable

[ilsaloving]

As long as North America insists on persisting their "My ignorance is just as valid as your knowledge", this problem will never go away, and people will continue to die.

Quite frankly, I'm at the point now where I don't think the FDA should do anything. These people are just so god damn willfully stupid that there's absolutely nothing that can be done short of putting them in an asylum. But since we won't... let them make their choices and suffering the consequences.

The FDA is "obviously" being paid under the table by Big Pharma(tm) to keep homeopathy down because homeopathy is such a clear threat to Big Pharma profits. So basically they're damned regardless of what they do. If they try to regulate homeopathy, that would effectively give homeopathy unwarranted legitimacy. If you try to shut it down, 10s of thousands of brazenly stupid idiots will start shouting and flailing pitchforks about with the usual battlecries of... well... the kinds of stuff already mentioned in the article/summary.

I don't think this should even fall under FDA juristiction anyway. It should be treated like the criminal matter that it is. The gov't should charge these parents with child endangerment and manslaughter for knowingly giving their kids poison, because that is exactly what they did.

Re:Hyland's teething tablets

[jdavidb]

Science is superior because it requires compelling evidence. Not anecdotal evidence. Compelling evidence.

Okay, the FDA needs to release their evidence.

The fundamental theory behind homeopathics lacks compelling evidence.

I know that, and I don't believe in homeopathy, so I'm not sure why you're saying it.

This isn't some conspiracy to keep big pharma rich.

And I never said anything of the sort. You seem to be assuming a lot of things.