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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Consider Homeopathic Teething Gel Appalling?

215 replies

UncleT · 21/04/2014 14:56

It's being advertised on the telly at the moment. It 'contains' 12c dilutions of herbs. Look up 12c and you'll rapidly find out that this means none of the substance remains in a sample. Other ingredients are water, ethanol, a sweetener and gelling and lubricant agents. There is nothing that will help with teething pain.

OP posts:
Famzilla · 21/04/2014 14:58

Welcome to homeopathy.

CarmineRose1978 · 21/04/2014 14:59

Homeopathic ANYTHING is appalling.

UncleT · 21/04/2014 16:16

I am aware of homeopathy in general and how stupid it is. It just somehow seems worse marketing it to the gullible to fool the into thinking it will reduce a baby's discomfort when it won't. Adults taking sugar pills is fine if they're silly enough to want to, but this is a whole different league of bad.

OP posts:
RiceBurner · 21/04/2014 16:16

YANBU, and what CarmineRose1978 said.

MewlingQuim · 21/04/2014 16:36

Yanbu.

I fell out with a friend I'd made in my antenatal class because she used it and I couldnt hide my horror.

If you take homeopathic medicine the placebo effect works on you.

If you give your baby homeopathic medicine the placebo effect still works on YOU. Your baby is still in pain. Sad

ImAThrillseekerBunny · 21/04/2014 16:54

Ethanol dulls the baby's pain a bit (as does sugar in the older teething granules). Woo makes the parent relax a bit. But I agree that a dose of calpol would probably do more good.

MistletoeBUTNOwine · 21/04/2014 16:56

I just bought some Nelsons teething granules Hmm
Are they the same?

ImAThrillseekerBunny · 21/04/2014 16:58

What does it say on the label mistletoe? When mine were little I think they were essentially sugar, which took their mind off the pain quite effectively.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 21/04/2014 16:59

Doesn't some of the effect actually come from rubbing it on the gums though? So that would still happen.

But a painkiller would probably be better.

meddie · 21/04/2014 17:03

The only thing that bothers me about them is that they will most probably work. sucrose has been shown to work as an effective pain relief in babies during painful procedures, it interferes with the pain signals. homeopathic granules/powders are just sugar, so they will do the same thing. my problem with that is it reinforces the belief that homeopathy is actually effective...

sassysally · 21/04/2014 17:04

You are wrong because placebo is proven to be effective in reducing symptoms even among animals.
Also the premise of homeopathy is that the substance leaves behind some sort of 'memory' in the dilutant.This is not something science can explain , but then the laws of science have been turned on their head many times in the past.
personally I don't really believe teething causes pain.m yr old don't even notice when their '6yr old' molars come through.Or teens when their wisdom teeth come erupt unless they are growing wrong.

UncleT · 21/04/2014 17:05

The gel has no sugar. It only has xylitol. The amount of ethanol in it will do sod all too.

OP posts:
ImAThrillseekerBunny · 21/04/2014 17:07

How much ethanol is there in it? Bonjela used to be 40% alcohol, exactly equivalent to my DM's suggestion of rubbing brandy on their gums.

meddie · 21/04/2014 17:08

xylitol is still very sweet, its the 'sweet ' signal that distracts babies

5feralloinfruits · 21/04/2014 17:09

My friend has used them,she said they work,mine have amber necklaces and have never complained with teething,all 5 of them.could be a coincidence,but either way,they look pretty!

MistletoeBUTNOwine · 21/04/2014 17:12

A friend recommended amber, will get some.
Active ingredient is chamomila 6c

meddie · 21/04/2014 17:16

There is no active ingredient. Its that diluted that thats its not there.

meddie · 21/04/2014 17:22

6c dilution is 1 part of chamomila per 1,000,000 parts of water. you would be lucky to come across any chamomila at all. its just water dripped on sugar granules.

CorusKate · 21/04/2014 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cauliflowerear · 21/04/2014 17:30

Amber necklaces are even more woo than homeopathy IMO.

5feralloinfruits · 21/04/2014 17:32

Im not a huge advocate of homeopathy as ive never used it on myself,but i dont understand how people get so angry about it,if hey havent ever tried it,science is becoming the new religion, "oooh,how dare anyone challenge what our precious mainstream science says" it annoys me when people are so small minded.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 21/04/2014 17:32

mistletoe

Your going to buy amber to help with teething because you have just realised the teething granules are shite?

Have a think about it for awhile.

Why don't you use a cold teething ring

bruffin · 21/04/2014 17:35

Amber necklacea look tackyl and there is no mechanism for them to work, unless your happy top heat them to 200 degrees

NeedsAsockamnesty · 21/04/2014 17:35

Im not a huge advocate of homeopathy as ive never used it on myself,but i dont understand how people get so angry about it,if hey havent ever tried it,science is becoming the new religion, "oooh,how dare anyone challenge what our precious mainstream science says" it annoys me when people are so small minded

It annoys people because it is a multi billion pound industry that plays on desperation and stupidity,it does not work, it has never worked,it will never work.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 21/04/2014 17:37

That's generally because people spend an awful lot of lab hours coming up with drugs and medicines and new formulae that are as effective as possible, and to be told "Oh hundreds of dilutions of chamomila in water is exactly the same" is just a teensy-weensy bit galling...

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