One in 10 Infants Get Herbal Supplements That May Pose Risks
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Almost one in 10 infants are given herbal teas and supplements to ease digestion or fussiness, a practice that is potentially harmful because of unknown drug interactions or contaminants in the products, researchers said.
Gripe water, a formula containing ginger and fennel used for colic and gas, chamomile, an herb used in tea, and teething tablets, which may also contain botanical ingredients, were the most commonly used supplements, according to researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The study, the first to estimate the prevalence of tea and supplement use in infants, is published in the journal Pediatrics.