Gripe water is a common and popular product designed to treat infantile colic. Despite its abundant use, very little has been reported about it.
We diagnosed a case of an apparent life threatening event (ALTE) in a 6 week old
infant who was treated with copious amounts of this food supplement.
The infant had an uneventful history and was otherwise healthy. She was admitted due
to episodes of apnea and cyanosis. Her physical examination was normal and her blood tests were all normal except a repeat examination of blood gases that showed metabolic alkalosis.
The commercial product the mother gave was tested in our laboratory and revealed a
high concentration of sodium bicarbonate. After the cessation of gripe water use, the infant was symptom free, and blood gas analysis was normal.
We believe the high concentration of bicarbonate in the gripe water, on top of the
over-dosage the mother administered, caused the severe metabolic alkalosis which eventually evoked the apnea episodes.
Only several countries limit the use of complementary alternative medicine to medical doctors and require a license or marketing authorization for the manufacture of these remedies. We urge physicians to warn parents about the potential side effects of over-the-counter common remedies, and to insist on proper dosage. We also believe that professional regulation is the key to ensuring the highest standards of practice of integrated medicine that is crucial for maintaining public safety.
