Qatar has warned residents against buying or using Babies' Magic Tea Baby Sleep Gripe Water because of undeclared alcohol levels.

The health ministry said the tonic is not registered in Qatar but can be bought online. The public was urged to stop using the product immediately, dispose of it, and seek medical advice if a child develops any symptoms after using it.

The move follows Dubai's recall in October of some batches of the gripe water over undeclared alcohol content and the lack of a valid marketing authorisation. The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) issued a circular to clinics and health practitioners recalling batch number 25122bw "to protect the health and safety of infants", and the Dubai Health Authority also circulated the notice.

The product has also been recalled in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), whose tests found about 8.3 per cent ethanol, 0.35 per cent methanol and 0.48 per cent isopropanol that were not listed on the label.

According to the FDA, such alcohols can impair the central nervous system, and infant exposure to ethanol has been linked to long-term developmental effects. Amounts recommended on the packaging could cause drowsiness, poor coordination, behavioural changes, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The manufacturer, Pacific Health Sciences, said it had received no reports of adverse events linked to the lot so far.

(Source: Khaleej Times)