Helen wrote, "I wonder whether the Bitish firm that made this stuff ...
moved on to 'markets new'  when no longer able to sell here in UK - just
like formula
companies IMO do.  "Ah lets go to so and so country and make a fast easy buck
on the back of ignorance before people wake up to what we are doing".

We have a fairly "famous" Gripe Water which is sold here which contains 4.4%
alcohol.  Others list "ethanol" as an ingredient.  They are freely sold with
no health warning.  Am I correct in understanding that these products are no
longer permitted in UK?   Is there something I should know about??

I am really concerned about the enormous range of potions that mothers are
persuaded to administer to their babies to help with "colic".  Mothers are
delighted that their babies sleep for hours after receiving these remedies,
others are concerned that the baby "seems limp".  Several of our local
pharmacies make up their own remedies, simply labeled "The Colic Mixture",
(no ingredients listed).  Sometimes these contain chloral hydrate or
antihistamines. A pharmacist in South Africa makes another remedy which has
become so famous here that mothers go on holiday and bring back several
bottles of the stuff and until recently a community sister used to dispense
it so that it became even more well known. My persistent enquiries reveal
that it contains diphenhydramine, alcohol, chloroform as well as raspberry,
sugar and water.  Apparently some of these ingredients can have an effect on
the central nervous system.  One pharmacy still sells Merbentyl and I know
of a two-month old baby who received some.  I've been toying with the idea
of making up an info sheet listing all the individual ingredients and
showing what effects they can have on the baby.  Does anyone have any
specific opinions/comments to offer?  And are these colic remedies allowed
to be sold in other countries, or are we truly being "dumped" on??

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe