Since 2014, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been conducting a study looking into parents’ claims that their kids developed “neuropsychiatric problems” after taking MiraLax, which “is regularly prescribed off-label to infants and toddlers, when it’s not recommended for use to anyone under 17,” according to the New York Times.
Parents reported their children became angry, aggressive and paranoid, with violent mood swings following use of the laxative.
When the study first began, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that MiraLax powder contains polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350), which may degrade into two different toxic chemicals found in car antifreeze.
“The Food and Drug Administration has received a number of reports of adverse events in children taking PEG products,” FDA said. “The Agency has conducted a review that documented a number of reports of neurological and psychiatric events associated with chronic PEG use in children.”
Although the CHOP study is still in progress and its findings have not yet been released, many parents have come forward to confirm the FDA’s suspicions about MiraLax.
Jeanie Ward told ABC News about how a doctor prescribed MiraLax to her 3-year-old daughter Nichole, even though the Laxative is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17.
Ward described her daughter’s “near psychiatric events with paranoia, mood swings, aggression, and rage” after taking MiraLax. Nicole, who is now 19, says she was a “very, very happy child,” but that she started “hating everybody” and “wanted to kill everybody” in second grade. “I’m mad that this happened to me,” Nicole said.
Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case. More than 4,000 parents have joined the Facebook group Parents Against MiraLax (PEG 3350) to share their stories. The group members discuss the potential dangers of MiraLax as well as alternative treatments.
Until results of the CHOP study are released, it may be best to consult your child’s doctor and avoid giving them MiraLax for occasional constipation. You can also try natural ways to relieve discomfort, such as fiber-rich foods or prune juice.
Source: ABC News