Menthol-infused baby oil that is commonly used to relieve abdominal pain in infants is dangerous for children under two years of age and their use on infants has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration, Taichung’s Asia University Hospital pediatrician Chang Yu-tzu (張鈺孜) said.
Menthol is a neural inhibitor, that relaxes the smooth muscles and suppresses intestinal movements, which is why topical application of menthol-infused oils and ointments relieve abdominal pain, Chang said.
Abdominal pain in babies can be induced by colic or in rare cases, intussusception, he said.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
However, while menthol provides relief, it is unsafe for infants because their skin is sensitive and their central nervous system is more vulnerable to the effects of menthol, he said.
The Food and Drug Administration banned menthol oils, ointments and inhalants for children under two years of age several years ago, he said.
When absorbed through the skin, excessive menthol can induce seizure, impair consciousness and inhibit breathing, he said.
The risks are heightened when menthol-infused substances are ingested, inhaled or rubbed on the face or chest of an infant, he said.
A safe way to relieve bloating and abdominal pain in an infant is to massage their stomach in a clockwise direction and to give them probiotics, Chang said.
Any ointment should used only when advised by a pediatrician, he said.
Menthol can also cause adverse effects in women who are pregnant or lactating, or people with a history of epilepsy, severe acid reflux, gallbladder inflammation or severe disorders of the liver, he said.
China has reserved offshore airspace in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. These alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (Notams), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert is
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
More than 6,000 Taiwanese students have participated in exchange programs in China over the past two years, despite the Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) “orange light” travel advisory, government records showed. The MAC’s publicly available registry showed that Taiwanese college and university students who went on exchange programs across the Strait numbered 3,592 and 2,966 people respectively. The National Immigration Agency data revealed that 2,296 and 2,551 Chinese students visited Taiwan for study in the same two years. A review of the Web sites of publicly-run universities and colleges showed that Taiwanese higher education institutions continued to recruit students for Chinese educational programs without
A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill to enhance cooperation with Taiwan on drone development and to reduce reliance on supply chains linked to China. The proposed Blue Skies for Taiwan Act of 2026 was introduced by Republican US senators Ted Cruz and John Curtis, and Democratic US senators Jeff Merkley and Andy Kim. The legislation seeks to ease constraints on Taiwan-US cooperation in uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), including dependence on China-sourced components, limited access to capital and regulatory barriers under US export controls, a news release issued by Cruz on Wednesday said. The bill would establish a "Blue UAS
RSS