Forum home Babies Baby

Calpol Warning!!!

My 7 month old son has been getting the occassional doze of calpol to help him sleep because of teething.It was after this he started havingnight terrors. We didn't make a connection and I thought he was just getting them because I had as a child. It wasn't til we went to the HV she told us about the e numbers in calpol that have been giving children nightmares if taken last thing at night!!! She said doctors are starting to refuse to prescribe it yet it is still available for 2 month old babies over the counter!!! The e number E122 is the worst but when I looked up all 5 on the bottle they all said unsuitable for children!!!!!

Carmoisine (E122)
Carmoisine is an artificial, red food colouring. A research study published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in September 2007 showed that a mixture of artificial food colourings including carmoisine and one food preservative, could affect hyperactive behaviour in susceptible children.

Under EC guidelines, medicines should carry a warning that carmoisine ???????may cause allergic reactions???????. Foods and drinks carry no such warning, despite been consumed in much greater quantities.

Carmoisine is used in a wide variety of sweets, soft drinks and other food and drink products, and also crops up in children's medicines.

Carmoisine is banned from all foods and drinks for the under threes, but is still used in some medicines for the under threes.

Carmoisine is banned in the USA and other countries, but permitted for use in the UK.
«1

Replies

  • Gutted image i like calpol xxx
  • So you don't mind giving your child chemicals that professionals have said arent suitable for babies?
  • Funny you should say that.

    Grace has been having some and she has started to full on cry in her sleep. She doesn't wake up and it has only been the last few nights since she started having it.

    Could be a coincidence but I will keep an eye on it.
  • my friends lo has been having night terrors i rang her earlier and she's been using calpol as she has had an ear infection so thanks for that. totally changing the subject but do you still receive emails when you subscribe to a topic ?

    [Modified by: mez123 on November 06, 2008 12:22 AM]

  • I have to agree with EmmaLou - Ollie has been having calpol - and even PRESCRIBED it not so long ago (about a month ago when he had 4 diff infections at the same time) and he has never had a reaction.

    The info you've copied and pasted states itself it may cause reactions in "susceptible" children - obv Ollie isnt susceptible to it.
    My cousin was reactionable to E numbers, which meant he couldnt have the majority of food on sale to the general public. It was a nightmare for my Auntie to find anything he could have, and he was never the same as the other kids at school because he couldnt eat school dinners, or have snacks etc like all the other children did. But he was also diagnosed with a mild case of ADHD and the E numbers aggrivated it.

    Its another version of BPA in bottles - it wouldnt be sold if it hadn't been passed as safe for children. Children's medicines (and other items) have to go through very stringent procedures to be classified as safe for them.

    If we follwed all the guidelines and new research we wouldnt be doing anything (not saying dont follow any of it though) - for eg the new rules about tea and coffee during pregnancy - not allowed more than 4 cups of tea a day or you'll have a small baby - i must have had about 20 teas a day when preg with Ollie and he came out at 9lb 2oz! Boy am I glad I drank that much! :lol:

    Sorry I don't want this to sounds offensive to anyone, but I wont be following this new research, beause it doesnt really apply to my child.For the next child I would only give what the doc prescribed anyway (its free then afterall!) so wouldn't have any problem with it....
    xxx
  • I think it must only be in susceptible children, Gabe has never had any problems with calpol and it's a godsend for us when he's poorly as it knocks him out a bit so we can both get some sleep. I will continue to use it.

    However I do find it strange that pretty much all baby jars of food dont have any colourings or flavourings, yet its apparently ok to put them in childrens medicines!
  • I guess with the jars they could argue that they are seen as an everyday item, whereas medicines arent...... ?
  • None of my 4 have ever had any problem with it, I think it is probably only susceptable children, it wasnt so long ago that You could give your 3 month old child medised but I tried to get some the other week for Isaac as he had a horrendous cold and they wouldnt sell it to me until he is 4!!! all my other 3 had it and never came to any harm, there is always something.
  • I have used calpol with jay alot of times due to teething and being poorly, he has had a couple of nights where he has woke up screaming but i think this is normal with babies. It is't happening alot, only about 5 times since he was born so i wouldn't stop using calpol with him.

    However, i know lucas has been having bad night terrors alot nic so maybe its worth you changing his medicine to something similar or stop giving him it before bed time and see if it makes a difference for him.

    Either way i hope he stops having them so much bless him.

    charlie x
  • I'm lucky in that I have only had to give Aoife 1 spoon of Calpol since she was born (13 weeks). But I do think that if I did have to give it over a longer period I would think about trying something without the E numbers in it! The trouble is they are in just about everything these days but I do try to avoid them as much as possible!
  • Hi girls,

    popped over from preg. forum. I'm a children's emergency nurse and use 'calpol' many times a day and have never seen a reaction.

    I think you have to think about why you are giving the calpol. If the child has a temperature that itself can cause bad dreams and listless sleep. When baby's are ill/ teething they may have a change in routine that can also cause them to be irritable at night time.

    If you are worried about the colouring etc. why not buy the brand own version of paracetamol. It does exactly the same thing - just is not pink and might not taste as nice!

    Hope this helps
  • We've given jason calpol a couple of times at night coz of teething but so far *touch wood* we've been ok & he's got two bottom already through n a top one just coming through, usually bonjela work with him n he actually like the taste!!! lol
  • My daughter is nearly 13 months old, and has been using calpol as and when she needs it with teething pain, immunisations etc and she's been fine!!
  • Calpol makes matthew hyperactive so we give him nurofen and he is alot better with that, however, Joshua has calpol and he is fine with it!! xx
  • I think we have to be careful to remember that for most people the reasons for giving calpol and how ill our lo's could become if they wern't given it by far outweigh the negatives. I thought his when the asthma link came out, I hope no one delayed giving there lo calpol due to this, only for them to become even iller. Nathan had a temp today as he' been ill and 20 minutes after calpol he had no temp and was happier than he had been all day (still not his usual inquisitive self though).

    But, I will buy a shops own brand in future as they are as good. Its clever marketing by calpol that we all think its the only option when there are loads of parecetemols out there.
    Mind you, just a thought. Could the E numbers be part of the reason Nathan did perk up so well? Maybe a sugar rush when he cant eat anything is what he needed? (only wondering, no facts there at all. The only fact is that no matter how many times I wash my hands today I still seem to smell like vomit!)
  • has anyone thought that its not the calpol giving them night terrors it could be the illness it self that is giving them the night terrors.

    i have been using calpol with anne since she was 3 months old and she is now 2 and a half and i have not had any problems.

    becki.xx
  • my doctor gives me calpol and nurofen on perscription! lots of products contain e numbers even down to fish fingers& orange squash if we listened to everything we would go crazy i spent all my pregnancy doing it by the book and now they tell you to drink ????? and the dr that put the link between mmr and autism got struck off they are not always right if i dont give my daughter calpol and nurofen when she has a high temp she has breathing difficultes
  • Night terrors run in my family so obviously Lucas will be more suseptible than others in thegeneral population but there will be other children out there who will have reactions to E numbers. Just looks like I'm going to have to be careful about what Lucas gets.
  • i thought they took the sleepy agent out of calpol! Lewis goes hyper with calpol - we use medised its great! and nurofen xx

    saying that everything makes lewis hyper lol
  • Hi! I have also noticed Aspartame is used in Calpol. In my opinion that is the most deadly of all! It basically destroys the brain, making holes in the brain, reducing it's size / weight and a persons IQ. It can cause cancers such as brain tumour's and also Parkinson's disease. I believe it's E number is E-951 (Aspartame) and it can be found in MANY soft drinks too so always read the back!



    Type in google search "aspartame dangers" and read to your hearts content.



    Good luck!
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions