My friend Tonya of Created2fly (Facebook - Created2Fly) and I collaborated to create this post as a source information source for you and your growing knowledge of Aromatherapy and essential oil usage.
“The U.S. Surgeon General, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics the National Reye's Syndrome Foundation, and WHO recommend that aspirin and combination products containing aspirin not be given to children under 19 years of age during episodes of fever-causing or viral illnesses. Acetylsalicylate is another word for aspirin; some medicine labels may use the words acetylsalicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylic acid, or salicylate instead of the word aspirin.” 1
When asked about the possibility of the use of Birch & Wintergreen and the development of Reye’s Syndrome. Robert Tisserand commented, "We do say in Essential Oil Safety that sweet birch and wintergreen oils should not be given or applied to children because of this risk. The safety information also applies to using Sweet Birch aromatically." 2
"Our Safety Advice
Our oral and dermal restrictions are based on a total of 95.9% total salicylate and methyl salicylate limits of 2.5 mg\kg\day and 2.4% (See Methyl salicylate profile, Chapter 14). Oral use of methyl salicylate - rich essential oils should be avoided in GERD, and the salicylates are contradicted in children due to the risk of developing Reye's Syndrome. Essential oils with a high methyl salicylate content should be avoided in pregnancy and lactation, and by anyone currently taking anticoagulant drugs. Caution is advised in those with hypersensitivity to salicylates, or dermatological conditions where the integrity of the skin is impaired." 3
Sources:
1 - http://reyessyndrome.org/aspirin.html
2 - Tisserand, Robert Conversation in Private Facebook Group
3 - Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition pg 215 & pg 469 Our Safety Advice http://reyessyndrome.org/pdfs/ReyesSyndromeandSalicylateUse.pdf
http://www.naturesgift.com/birch.htm
