FDA asks teething medicine manufacturers to stop selling product due to potentially deadly side effects

Federal officials are warning parents about the potential dangers of teething medicines.

The FDA has asked manufacturers to stop selling their products for use by babies and toddlers. They said various gels and creams, including four Orajel teething brands, contain the drug Benzocaine.

Benzocaine can cause rare but deadly side effects in children, especially those two-years-old and younger.

The agency has been warning about the product for a decade but said reports of illnesses and deaths have continued. Now it wants the teething product off the market.