Is ethanol safe in drops?

Most tinctures use ethyl alcohol, which is a high-proof alcohol that is commercially available and very safe for consumption. Given that the amount of tincture taken is very small (usually between 20-40 drops) the amount of alcohol consumed is negligible.

Is ethanol safe for baby?

One of the most common adverse effects of ethanol intoxication in pediatric patients is hypoglycemia, due to reduced glycogen stores. The lethal dose of ethanol is reported to be 3 g/kg in children. We describe several case reports, including clearance data for ethanol in neonates and infants (Table III).

Is there alcohol in children’s medicine?

A few of the many other products that contain alcohol include certain formulations of Benadryl, Cheracol Plus, Dimetane, Donnatal, Geritol, Novahistine, Robitussin, Sominex, Triaminic, Tylenol and Vicks. Some remedies can contain up to 25 percent alcohol.

Is ethanol used in medications?

Ethanol is used as a solvent to dissolve the active ingredient in some medicines or as an extraction solvent in herbal medicinal products. Ethanol has also been used as an antimicrobial preservative, possessing bactericidal and fungicidal activity.

Why are babies more susceptible to ethanol toxicity?

This is important as babies and children are particularly vulnerable to adverse reactions owing to organ immaturity and differences in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles compared with adults. The toxicity of excipients may, therefore, differ between adult and paediatric patients as well as across the paediatric subset.

What are the effects of ethanol in breastmilk?

Effects of alcohol ingestion through breastmilk have been investigated in infants and a detrimental effect on psychomotor function has been reported. 10 However, these findings could not be replicated in a later study. 11 For children, the toxicity data for chronic and acute ethanol exposure are very limited.

What kind of excipients can infants be exposed to?

Whittaker et al 4 examined the exposure with eight oral liquid formulations and found that infants were exposed to 20 different excipients. Ethanol was found in several of the medications including commonly used ones such as iron and furosemide.

When was alcohol removed from paediatric formulations?

In 1984, the American Academy of Paediatrics published an article highlighting the importance of removing alcohol from paediatric formulations 19 and in cases where this was not possible to provide information explaining the risks.