Phyllis wonders why her kids didn't have a reaction and why Benzocaine products are still on the market despite FDA warnings.  I think one of the things to keep in mind about assessing risks are that there are three components:

a) frequency of occurrence
b) duration of the effect
c) severity of the effect

All medications (be they pharmaceutically processed or less processed herbal substances) affect the body in one or more ways. So, I seriously doubt if you can find a medication that never has any side effects in at least some people.  

In the case of the Benzocaine products it looks like the side effects are quite severe -- but perhaps they are so infrequent that the FDA has not yet taken the step of a ban.  This would explain why many babies will appear to be fine such as Phylis' babies, yet some have serious side effects.  When I worked in developing countries there were antibiotics that were routinely used that were banned in the US.  The side effects were highly deadly but also very rare.  In desperation, the Peace Corps volunteers would sometimes self medicate with these antibiotics because no other antibiotics were available -- something they would have never considered if they had access to medical care and other antibiotics.  

Another issue apart from the impact of the medication, is the severity of the condition for which a medication is being used.  In the case of teething pain -- the baby can be quite uncomfortable but is not in danger of serious complications.  So, it seems to me that there are plenty of other ways to sooth sore gums with a much lower risk however infrequent that serious risk Benzocaine products might occur.  

So I would add the fourth factor

d) severity of the condition


What is profoundly irritating about all of this is that we pay attention to tiny but severe risks of items like Oragel -- which IS warranted, but we have a much greater frequency and duration of UNWARRENTED use of a medication "formula" that causes a side effects with a very high frequency, duration and severity of side effects (infectious and chronic diseases in mothers and in infants as well as DEATH)!! 

If you add up the health care costs of unwarrented use of formula it far overshadows any other risk to infants.

Best regards, 
Susan Burger

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