Mother issues warning after popular teething gel causes 15-month-old baby to stop breathing

'Please, do not give your children Baby Orajel'

(Getty/iStock)

A mother has issued a warning to parents after her daughter had a dangerous reaction to a popular teething gel.

Watching her baby struggle through the pain of teething, Danielle Kapetanovic, of Chantilly, Virginia, decided to try a common remedy – Baby Orajel.

But just seconds after she gave it to her 15-month-old daughter, Chloe, the child went limp, stopped breathing and turned blue. Now, she's warning other parents not to make the same mistake.

In a Facebook post, Kapetanovic describes the frightening ordeal that ensued after applying less than the recommended pea-sized amount to her daughter’s gums before bedtime.

“Chloe immediately turned red, started kicking, got one or two screams in, and 10-15 seconds after the Orajel touched her gums she became unresponsive,” the worried mother wrote.

“Her eyes locked in a dead stare, she became limp and stopped breathing. She turned blue.”

Kapetanovic describes how she tried hitting her daughter’s back to wake her up, but had no response. She then ran to her bedroom where she laid the little girl on her bed and began breathing into her mouth as her partner called the emergency services.

Thankfully, baby Chloe woke up screaming a few seconds later, with the whole ordeal lasting around 20 seconds. The ambulance arrived and she was later checked by a paediatrician.

After the incident, Kapetanovic researched the gel and found that there were many other parents who experienced the exact same thing.

She also learned that the FDA has warned against giving babies Benzocaine - the active ingredient in Baby Orajel. This is because it can cause a rare but sometimes fatal condition called methemoglobinemia.

“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that the use of benzocaine, the main ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth to reduce pain, is associated with a rare, but serious condition,” the FDA report states.

“This condition is called methemoglobinemia and results in the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream being greatly reduced. In the most severe cases, methemoglobinemia can result in death.”

While doctors can’t definitively say if what happened to Chloe was a reaction to benzocaine or something else, Kapetanovic urges other parents to not put their children at risk by using teething gels.

“Please, do not give your children Baby Orajel. The potential temporary relief it may provide your baby from teething is simply not worth the risk,” she added.

If you’re concerned about the effects of teething gels there are alternatives to help soothe your baby’s pain.

“All medication, even that available over the counter and from supermarket shelves, carries risks and the chance of an adverse reaction from an individual,” Sarah Ockwell-Smith, mother of four and author of 'The Gentle Parenting Book' told The Independent.

“These risks however are very small and the rigorous testing that pharmaceutical products go through ensures that medication is as safe as possible, especially for babies and children.

“Many parents however decide that they would prefer to treat their baby's teething pain naturally. There are many natural teething alternatives available in high street chemists, but my three top tips are as follows:

1. If you are breastfeeding, express some breastmilk and use a small lolly mold to make a breastmilk popsicle for your baby to suck, the cold can relieve the pain.
2. Silicone teething jewellery is a great investment. These are designed for mum to wear (as bangles or necklaces) so they're always to hand and babies can chomp down heavily into them. The pressure here helps to alleviate discomfort in the gums
3. Offer lots of hugs and cuddles, if they are skin to skin (maybe in the bath together) then even better. Hugging helps to release the hormone oxytocin which has a mild pain relieving effect. Babies who are teething are usually clingier than usual, don't try to fight it - go with it and give them all the love and reassurance they need as much as you can."

A spokesperson for Orajel told The Independent, "Orajel Teething Gels contain benzocaine and are recommended for children two years or older. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. the maker of Orajel, advises on its packaging and website that caregivers of children under the age of 24 months consult their physician or healthcare professional before using Orajel teething products."