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The U.S.Food and Drug Administration is warning parents not to use benzocaine to ease teething pain in babies. The federal agency said the product should only be used under the advice and supervision of a health care professional.

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic and can be found in such over-the-counter (OTC) products as Anbesol, Hurricaine, Orajel, Baby Orajel, and Orabase.

They say the use of benzocaine gels and liquids for mouth and gum pain can lead to a rare but serious and deadly condition called methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced. In the most severe cases methemoglobinemia can result in death.

The FDA first warned about potential dangers in 2006 and has since received 29 reports of benzocaine gel-related cases of methemoglobinemia.

Nineteen of those cases occurred in children, and 15 of the 19 cases occurred in children under 2 years of age. Children under 2 years old appear to be at particular risk.

Symptoms of methemoglobinemia include pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips and nail beds, shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, headache, light-headedness and a rapid heart rate.

An FDA pharmacists says symptoms can occur within minutes to hours after benzocaine use.

If your child has any of these symptoms after using benzocaine, she adds, stop using the product and seek medical help immediately by calling 911.

Methemoglobinemia caused by benzocaine may require treatment with medications and admission to a hospital. Serious cases should be treated right away. If left untreated or if treatment is delayed, methemoglobinemia may cause permanent injury to the brain and body tissues, and even death, from the insufficient amount of oxygen in the blood.

According to the the American Academy of Pediatrics giving the child a teething ring chilled in the refrigerator and gently rubbing or massage the child's gums with the finger are alternatives for treating teething pain.

The FDA said parents should store any products containing benzocaine out of the reach of children, use benzocaine gels and liquids sparingly and only when needed and do not use them more than 4 times a day.