Gripe water is an over-the-counter liquid supplement marketed for fussy, gassy, or colicky babies. Most formulas contain a blend of herbal extracts, primarily fennel seed, ginger root, and sometimes chamomile or dill, mixed into a base of water and a sweetener like agave syrup. Despite its widespread use, gripe water is not FDA-approved, and no clinical evidence confirms it works.
The Core Herbal Ingredients
While formulas vary by brand, four plant-based ingredients appear most often in gripe water products:
- Fennel seed extract is the most common active ingredient. It has a long history in folk medicine as a digestive aid, believed to relax the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and reduce gas buildup.
- Ginger root extract is included for its anti-nausea and stomach-soothing properties. Ginger is well studied in adults for motion sickness and nausea, though research in infants is minimal.
- Chamomile appears in some formulas for its mild calming and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Dill weed extract is a traditional remedy for gas and stomach upset. The word “gripe water” itself traces back to 19th-century England, where dill-based preparations were common.
Some brands use only one or two of these herbs, while others combine several. The concentrations vary significantly between products because there is no standardized formula.
What Else Is in the Bottle
Beyond the herbal extracts, gripe water contains inactive ingredients that act as sweeteners, preservatives, or stabilizers. Common ones include vegetable glycerin (a mild sweetener that also gives the liquid a smooth texture), citric acid, potassium sorbate (a preservative), and purified water. Some brands use agave syrup or citrus flavoring to make the taste more appealing to babies.
Older and international formulations sometimes contain sodium bicarbonate, essentially baking soda, which neutralizes stomach acid. This ingredient has fallen out of favor with many brands because excessive sodium bicarbonate in newborns can disrupt the body’s acid-base balance, potentially causing muscle weakness, breathing difficulty, or more serious complications. Many current products now advertise its absence on the label.
What Modern Formulas Leave Out
The original gripe water, sold in Britain starting in the 1850s, contained alcohol and sugar. Some versions even included opium-based compounds. Today’s products have moved far from that recipe, and most major brands prominently list what they exclude: alcohol, sugar, parabens, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. Organic-certified versions go further, using only USDA-certified organic plant extracts and avoiding synthetic preservatives entirely.
That said, “free from” claims on the label don’t mean a product has been tested for safety or effectiveness in infants. The ingredient list tells you what’s in the bottle, but not whether those ingredients do what the marketing promises.
How Gripe Water Is Regulated
Gripe water occupies a gray area in the U.S. regulatory system. Most brands sell it as a dietary supplement, which means the FDA does not review it for safety or effectiveness before it hits store shelves. However, because many brands market gripe water with claims about treating colic, gas, or hiccups, the FDA has pushed back.
In April 2025, the FDA issued a warning letter to the maker of Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water, one of the most popular brands in the U.S., stating that the product qualifies as an unapproved new drug because of its disease-treatment claims. The letter noted that the product “is not generally recognized as safe and effective” for its advertised uses. More troubling, the FDA found that the company had received reports of infants choking, infants who stopped breathing, and infants hospitalized after being given the product, and had failed to file the required serious adverse event reports.
This doesn’t mean every bottle of gripe water is dangerous. But it does mean no regulatory body has verified that any gripe water formula is safe or effective for infants.
Does It Actually Work?
The honest answer is that nobody knows for certain. No rigorous clinical trials have demonstrated that gripe water relieves colic, gas, or fussiness better than a placebo. The Cleveland Clinic notes that none of the usual ingredients in gripe water have been proven to address the root causes of colic or infant gassiness.
Many parents report that gripe water calms their baby, at least temporarily. Some pediatricians suggest this could be a response to the sweet taste rather than any medicinal effect from the herbs. Colic also resolves on its own, typically by three to four months of age, which makes it difficult to separate a product’s effect from natural improvement.
Typical Dosing by Age
Most brands recommend waiting until a baby is at least two weeks old before offering gripe water. General dosing guidelines for alcohol-free and sugar-free formulas look roughly like this: about 2.5 milliliters (half a teaspoon) up to three times daily for babies two weeks to one month old, 5 milliliters up to three times daily from one to six months, and 5 milliliters up to six times daily from six months to one year. These are manufacturer suggestions, not medically established doses, and they vary between brands. Always check the label on the specific product you have, since concentrations differ.
Potential Risks to Know About
Allergic reactions are the most commonly cited risk. Because gripe water contains plant-based extracts, babies with sensitivities to fennel, ginger, chamomile, or related plants could develop a rash, vomiting, or diarrhea. Chamomile, in particular, belongs to the same plant family as ragweed, which is a common allergen.
Contamination is another concern. Because supplements aren’t tested the way pharmaceuticals are, the actual contents of a bottle may not perfectly match the label. Products manufactured overseas or by smaller companies may carry higher contamination risks. Choosing brands that undergo third-party testing can reduce, though not eliminate, this uncertainty.
For formulas that still contain sodium bicarbonate, overuse can interfere with a baby’s natural stomach acidity, which plays a role in digestion and in protecting against harmful bacteria. This is especially relevant for very young infants whose digestive systems are still developing.