This is gross.

Infants as young as one month are being given either dietary botanical supplements or herbal teas.

A study done for the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio and published in the June edition of Pediatrics, has found that nine per cent of infants in a major survey were given a wide variety of herbal supplements and tea. It is being raised as a concern because some supplements given to infants may be health risks.

The purity and potency of such supplements and teas are not regulated in the same way as pharmaceuticals and may lead to adverse drug reactions and may contain heavy metals and other contaminants which could be harmful, says the study.

In 2007 one brand of gripe water, used to soothe fussy babies, was recalled because it contained cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause intestinal infections.

The supplements and teas are sometimes preferred by parents because they can be obtained without medical prescriptions and have been shown to be effective for some conditions. Most are marketed as, and considered to be, more natural.

Experts recommend that infants receive only human milk or infant formula for the first four to six months, with vitamins and medicine as needed.