History of gripe water ornikshepa babyherbal water

History

Various remedies to help infants sleep during restlessness and to combat minor upset stomachs in babies have been around for centuries in different cultures, but the first "gripe water" was formulated in England in 1851 and used by English nannies. Gripe water was discovered accidentally by William Woodward, an English pharmacist who did his apprenticeship in Boston, Linconshire, and later bought a business in Nottingham^[1] and quickly became adopted as a prescription by physicians.^[2] In the 1840s babies in Eastern England were afflicted by a condition known as "fen fever", and during that time there was also an outbreak of malaria in England.^[3] Woodward took his inspiration from the manner in which malaria as well as "fen fever" was being treated and noted that the formula used to treat fen fever was also an effective "soother of fretful babies and provided relief from gastrointestinal troubles in infants." The original Woodward's Gripe Water contained 3.6% alcohol, dill oil, sodium bicarbonate, sugar, and water. Woodward registered "Gripe Water" as a trademark in 1876.^[4] It was initially marketed with the slogan "Granny told Mother and Mother told me."
In 1993, the United States Food and Drug Administration ordered an automatic detention of all shipments of Woodward's into the U.S. on the basis of its being an unapproved drug.^[5] In response of the FDA's import alert, Woodward's and other manufacturers have continued marketing the products, but as a dietary supplement.^[1]