A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down

by Cait 12:24 PM 0 comments Baby Sugar Sweeteners

Even before having my child, I was very cautious about the foods/preservatives/chemicals I put in, and on, my body.  I avoid using shampoos with phthalates and SLS (among other chemicals), I try to eat whole foods (avoiding processed), and I've always avoided sugar substitutes as a rule. It was fitting that I continue this trend with my son.

When my son was young he developed acid reflux, which the doctor prescribed a medication for.  We went to the drugstore and bought said medication.  It had a strong minty smell and you could tell that there was alcohol in it.

The strong scent led me to check the ingredients list. Yes, there was alcohol in it- That didn't really shock me.  What did shock me was the presence of sodium saccharin in the medication.

I remember my mother telling me that saccharin was carcinogenic.  She never let my sister or I chew gum containing the artificial sweetener.

Upon researching saccharin, I found that it was classified as a carcinogen in the 1970's, but has since been declared "safe." It still doesn't sit right with me and I don't like the idea of giving it to a small child.

Why is this in children's medication? Wouldn't stevia be a better choice? Heck, wouldn't sugar be a better choice if something needs to be sweetened?

We ended up using other methods of treating my son's reflux, which he grew out of quickly anyway.

Flash forward one year and we find saccharin again:  This time in our son's toothpaste. Really?! It is unfortunate because he loved the toothpaste's flavor.  Now we're using a toddler toothpaste made by Toms of Maine. The flavor isn't as good, but it doesn't have as much artificial junk in it.

Have you been surprised to find certain ingredients in your baby/toddler products?