The agency is warning that benzocaine, which is in most popular teething medications, can have dangerous health effects.  Benzocaine is a painkiller, but according to the agency, it has also been associated with a rare, but potentially serious condition called methemoglobinemia.  In this condition, there’s a vastly reduced supply of oxygen carried through the bloodstream.  In very severe cases, infants may be at risk of death.

In the US, benzocaine is available in liquid and gel form, under the names Orajel, Baby Orajel, Anbesol and other brands.  It is also available in spray form and as lozenges.  These are typically used to treat teething pain.  However, these drugs are also used by adults to treat canker sores and relieve gum irritation.

However, the agency is warning that methemoglobinemia has been linked to benzocaine at varying levels.  Even teething products containing 7.5% concentration of benzocaine has been linked to the fatal condition.  Most of these cases involved children under the age of two.  According to the Food and Drug Administration, parents must watch out for the following symptoms

• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Shortness of breath
• Gray color for skin
• Rapid heart rate
• Blueness of the nails or lips
• Headache

Typically, these symptoms appear within hours or even minutes of using benzocaine.  Even a single dose of the product is enough for symptoms to turn up.

Even adults who use gels and lotions containing benzocaine must follow precautions.  Use the recommendations on the label of the product.  Keep the product out of reach of children. Avoid using these products frequently.

The 67-year-old man had been prescribed Botox to treat his hand tremors and writer’s cramp.  The man suffered an autoimmune reaction to the toxin, which left him with a brain injury.  As a result of the brain injury, the man, who owned a successful design business earlier, has been left unable to take care of himself.  He is now totally dependent on others to care for him.

The man filed a lawsuit against the makers of Botox, Allergan, alleging that the company had failed to warn patients about possible side effects, including autoimmune reactions that result in brain injury.  Allergan denied that the man’s brain injury had anything to do with Botox, saying that its product has been tested extensively.

The jury obviously didn’t agree with Allergan.  It has handed over a $212 million verdict against Allergan, including $12 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages.

The $200 million in punitive damages is likely to be in question because of a cap on punitive damages in Virginia.  However, for Allergan, the fact that there has been such a massive verdict against it based on injuries caused by the use of its best-selling wrinkle smoothing drug, is likely to create trouble.

It’s not the first time that Houston defective product attorneys have come across injuries caused from Botox side effects.  Last year, a jury awarded $15 million to a person who claimed that he had suffered botulism poisoning from the use of Botox.  Also last year, Allergan agreed to pay $600 million to settle a federal probe into off-label marketing of the drug.  Doctors are allowed to prescribe a drug for off label purposes, but are prohibited from marketing the drug for unapproved purposes.  In this case, the plaintiff’s writer’s cramp would constitute an off-label use.  With this plaintiff’s victory, it is likely that the floodgates of Botox injury lawsuits will now open.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 ordered the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop new standards for a variety of children’s products, including cribs and toddler beds.  The agency has already set new standards for crib safety, announcing a ban on drop side cribs, and has also turned its attention to other children’s products, including infant carriers.  This week, the agency announced new standards for toddler’s beds.

There have been several reports of injuries and deaths involving toddler beds.  According to the CPSC, it is aware of at least 122 incidents that occurred between 2005 and 2010.  Out of these, four children died, and 43 children were injured from these toddler beds.

The CPSC’s new standards mandate that the upper edge of the guardrail be at least 5 inches above the mattress of the bed, and that the spindle and slat stress testing standards for toddler beds be consistent with current testing requirements.  These guidelines also mandate that manufacturers include warning labels that caution parents about the risks of entrapment and strangulation hazards from toddler beds.

The CPSC has been investing more attention towards sleeping environment safety over the past few months.  One of the first major steps that the CPSC took to help children sleep safely was a ban on drop side cribs announced in December.  These cribs have been traced to several reports of strangulation, suffocation as well as some fall incidents.

Houston product liability attorneys have been reviewing complaints of nerve injuries filed by persons who used popular brands of zinc-containing dental adhesives.  As it turns out, the risks of zinc poisoning from using these dental adhesives, may be more widespread than earlier believed.

Earlier last month, the Academy of Gen. Dentistry shot out a letter to dentists around the United States, warning about zinc poisoning from the use of the denture adhesives.  Now the Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that accumulation of zinc in the body from denture paste can actually have serious ill health effects.

Several patients, who have developed medical conditions, specifically nerve damage, from the use of the dental adhesives, have filed lawsuits against companies that manufacture these products.  The biggest health complaint that people have is linked to nerve damage or neuropathy.  Patients, who suffer from neuropathy, may find it very difficult to even walk about, or perform routine daily tasks.  In extreme cases, there may be partial paralysis of the limbs.

The Food and Drug Administration has not bothered to classify denture adhesives at a higher level of danger.  These adhesives are classified as class I medical devices, which means that they have the least risk of injury.  However, now the Food and Drug Administration says that it is asking manufacturers of dental adhesives to modify their products using a substitute for zinc.

GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures SuperPoliGrip, one of the dental adhesives that have been linked to incidences of zinc poisoning, has already confirmed that it is reformulating its product to make it zinc-free.  The other major branded dental adhesive that has been linked to zinc poisoning is Procter & Gamble’s Fixodent.  Procter & Gamble is still reviewing the substitution of some other ingredient in place of zinc in its adhesive.

In fact, most car seats that are approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are only tested for effectiveness in preventing injuries during front impact accidents.  Most serious injuries in accidents every year involve rollover accidents and side impact crashes.  Besides, whiplash and serious spinal cord injuries can result from rear end accidents.  Children, who are strapped into car seats, may be at a special risk of injuries during a rear end accident.  However, the NHTSA does not test the effectiveness of car seats in these accidents.

Moreover, the NHTSA does not have crash test dummies to test the effectiveness of car seats that are designed for children who are above 65 pounds in weight.  Some children may reach 40 pounds by the end of 2 ½ years, and increasingly Houston injury attorneys are coming across children who are overweight.  Parents of such children need large-size car seats, but the NHTSA has no proper testing procedures for these car seats.  These children are too big for normal sized car seats, and too young to be secured by seatbelts.

What is even worse is that the NHTSA has been developing a plus-sized crash test dummy for children at least since 2002.  There is no word from the agency about when this test dummy will be ready.  In the meantime, parents need to be vigilant about the kind of car seats they buy for their children.  Look up rankings by safety organizations like Consumer Reports, which do their own testing for car seats and booster seats.

According to the report, children’s product recalls accounted for 45% of the total number of recalls last year, or a total of 160 products.  Out of these, nursery products were the most often recalled products accounting for 29% of recalls.  These products also seemed to involve the most number of injuries before a recall.  There were five products that had more than 100 reported incidents of injuries and other adverse incidents before the recall.  Out of these, four involved nursery products.

The largest recall in 2010 was the recall of 12 million McDonald’s drinking glasses recall because of cadmium content in the glasses.  There were also a number of recalls related to children’s sleep environment-related products, including cribs and beds.  The kind of penalties that the Consumer Product Safety Commission levied on manufacturers of products for safety violations last year was quite meager, and amounted to just $2.7 million.

However, the CPSC did take a few other steps to warn parents about possibly dangerous products.  For instance, the CPSC did warn parents against using bag-style infant slings.  These slings have become very fashionable in recent years, but have been traced to several incidents of infant suffocation deaths.  The CPSC also warned consumers about the use of sleep positioners.  The biggest accomplishment of the CPSC last year was the announcement of a federal consumer product safety database that parents can refer to when they want to look up complaints about specific children’s products.  However, there is more that the CPSC can do, including reviewing crib bumper pads that have been linked to at least two fatalities last year.

Earlier this year, Triad Group announced a recall of millions of alcohol pads, because of the risk of bacterial infection.  The company downplayed the risks of infection, by saying that it had received just one report of a skin infection related to the alcohol wipes.  It was only when the recall was announced that Harrison’s parents realized that the infection was possibly linked to the wipes.

Now, MSNBC has obtained documents from the Food and Drug Administration which show that the agency was aware of contamination and sterility problems at the Triad Medical Group facility in Wisconsin.  According to inspection reports, procedures to prevent contamination of products were not being followed at the facility.  However, the FDFA failed to send out warning letters to the company.  Typically, the FDA warns companies about safety problems, and forces them to comply with regulations.  That did not happen in this case.

Since Harrison’s parents filed the lawsuit, many patients from other states have stepped forward to claim that their injuries and illnesses were caused by the contaminated pads.  Houston product liability attorneys are possibly looking at just the tip of the iceberg here, as more people understand that their infections were caused by the contaminated pads.

The study is based on data from the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System. There are some known culprits on the list like Paxil, the antidepressant which has also been linked to birth defects, as well as one of the most widely used antidepressants Prozac, which has also been linked to a high risk of violence.

Tellingly, most of the drugs on the list are antidepressants. These include Desvenlafaxine sold under the brand name Pristiq, and linked to a 7.9 times higher risk of violent behavior, Venlafaxine sold under the brand name Effexor, and linked to a 8.3 times higher risk of violent behavior, Fluvoxamine sold under the brand name Luvox, and with a 8.5 times higher risk of being involved in violent behavior.

Also on the list are Triazolam, a benzodiazepine which is used to treat insomnia. This medication can be addictive, and can increase the risk of violent behavior by about 8.7 times. Also featuring on the list are two drugs used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder- Atomoxetine with a nine times higher risk of violent crimes and amphetamines with a 9.6 times higher risk of violent behavior.  The antimalarial drug Mefoquine has a 9.5 times higher risk of violent behavior. SSRI antidepressant Paroxetine has a 10.3 times higher risk of violent behavior, while Fluoxetine or Prozac has a 10.9 times higher risk of violent behavior.

The most dangerous drug on the list as far as violent behavior is concerned is undoubtedly the antismoking medication, Chantix. This drug has already been tracked by Houston product liability lawyers has a link with violence that is about 18 times higher than for any other medication.

Why should an increase in auto defect complaints last year be encouraging? For one thing, it shows that Americans are now more aware of the need to file complaints when they notice defects in their vehicles than ever before. For too long, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has remained an obscure and almost irrelevant government body. Few Americans were aware of the federal agency’s duties and responsibilities. Even fewer consumers knew that when they noticed potential defects in their vehicles, they could file a complaint with the agency by calling a toll-free number.

That situation has changed tremendously since the Toyota recalls last year. Tens of millions of cars were recalled by Toyota after a horrible crash in California in 2009 was traced to sudden unintended acceleration in the vehicle. Since then, the media have devoted considerable attention and space to auto defects. Toyota’s recalls have been followed by a number of recalls announced by other automakers. Auto companies have been less likely to ignore potential problems, and have been more proactive about announcing recalls. That has meant more awareness in the public about auto safety issues.

Besides, it’s always good news when more complaints are filed with NHTSA, because the agency reviews every complaint that it receives. Few complaints will result in the agency taking any action. However, when a number of complaints about a particular problem begin to trickle in, the agency is alerted to the possibility of a defect, and can choose to begin an investigation. If necessary, the NHTSA can pressure the company to announce a recall. All of this is actually good for consumer safety.

When little infants below the age of one year are placed in the stroller, and are unstrapped, their heads can become trapped between the stroller tray and the seat bottom.  The recall includes strollers that were sold at retailers between November 2000 and December 2007.  Strollers manufactured after July 2008 are not impacted by the recall because, according to the company, they have been manufactured according to new industry safety rules.  Parents have been advised to contact the company for a free repair kit.

The company says that the strollers can be used safely as a travel seat, because this doesn’t present the risk of injury or strangulation.  The recall involves the Quattro Tour strollers manufactured before November 2006, as well as MetroLite strollers manufactured prior to July 2007.  The company has a complete list of all the stroller models included in the recall on its website.

For a Houston product liability lawyer, however, the most interesting question to ask here would be – why did Graco wait so long to inform parents that their strollers have such a dangerous defect?  The strollers were sold between November 2000 and December 2007.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, it received reports of the four infant strangulation deaths between 2003 and 2005.  That means, the company waited between five and seven years to announce a recall.  A delay this long is unexplainable, especially when you have a defect that is so serious it has contributed to a total of four infant deaths.