Baby 411 & Toddler 411 Blog

FDA alert for kids who wheeze: Albuterol nebulizer solution recall

The FDA recalled certain lots of Albuterol 0.083% nebulizer solution that comes in 3 ml vials. The concentration on the packaging is mislabelled. Consumers should return any unused portion to where the medication was purchased. Check the link for full details.

Government bans drop-side cribs

As was widely anticipated, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today voted to ban the sale of drop-side cribs. 

According to the Associated Press, the government took the move "after the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the past decade and millions of recalls."

This means that beginning in June, all cribs sold in the USA must have static or non-moving side rails. However, manufacturers and retailers have already been phasing out these cribs . . . most major chain stores now only sell static-side cribs. 

The law would also ban childcare centers and hotels from using drop-side cribs---however, there is a two-year grace period. 

There are millions of drop-side cribs in homes, attics and second-hand stores. Should you junk your drop-side crib and get a new one? Yes, we believe that would be the safest course. Even if you check the hardware, it is still possible for the hardware to fail or for the crib to be mis-assembled. 

 

FDA Recalls Hyland's Teething Tablets!

 

Most of my readers and patients know that I have never recommended Hyland's Teething Tablets, so it is no surprise to me that the FDA has declared a recall on this product.

Because the tablets are homeopathic, the FDA has not been required to assess them for safety or therapeutic benefit. (A convenient loop hole in the lucrative alternative medicine industry.)

The teething tablets contain a small amount of belladonna, which is a known toxin to the nervous system. So, how the heck it is sitting on grocery store shelves has always been a mystery to me!!!

The FDA has stepped in now though, because they have received reports of children having adverse reactions, which are what you would see from belladonna toxicity. The FDA laboratory tested the teething tablets and found that there are inconsistent amounts of belladonna in the product. They (appropriately!) feel that the amount of belladonna should be more tightly regulated—considering what effect it can have in larger doses (like seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating, or agitation). Furthermore, the tablets are not contained in childproof packaging, making it easier for a young child to take as many tablets as he wants. And yes, the FDA has also received reports of adverse reactions in kids from that exact scenario.

So, what should you do if you have Hyland's Teething Tablets in your medicine cabinet? Toss 'em.

Yes, the teething tablets are "100% natural"—but so is cocaine, and you've never give that to a baby, right? Be an informed consumer. Just because it's natural, doesn't mean it is safe.

And, while we are on this subject, teething gets blamed on fussy moods, disrupted sleep, runny noses, and diarrhea. RARELY is teething the cause of any of these maladies! If you want a natural teething remedy, try freezing a mini bagel or banana, and let your little one gnaw on that!

Whooping cough again: Baby #10 dies

Whooping cough made the news again today as it took the life of another baby in California. The state has had nearly 6000 confirmed cases (and probably many more unconfirmed). Tragically, 10 infants have now died in the state. All of the babies were under 3 months of age, and 9 of the 10 babies were under eight weeks of age—which means they were too young to be vaccinated to protect against the infection.

But California is not the only state seeing a rise in whooping cough. It's all over the country. My hometown of Austin has several recently reported cases across the city. Believe me, I am seeing plenty of kids in my office who have received notes from their daycare or school that they have been exposed to a child with confirmed whooping cough. Parents, with good reason, are concerned and want their child to be checked out.

So, why are we seeing such a rise in whooping cough right now? Isn't it a vaccine preventable disease? Is it simply because some parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids? Well, it would be terrific if 100% of children were vaccinated but it's not that simple of a solution. Infectious diseases are much more complex.

1. Whooping cough epidemics occur in cycles about every 3-5 years. The last major epidemic was in 2005, so we were destined to see an uptick in infections this year.

2. Immunity to whooping cough does not last forever — whether you are vaccinated for protection or even if you have had the disease. Immunity wears off over time (listen up teens and adults!) That’s why it is so important to get the whooping cough booster shot (called Tdap).

3. Babies cannot receive their first vaccination for whooping cough until they are two months of age. And evn then, they do not have adequate immunity until they have received at least three doses of whooping cough vaccine (at six months of age). So, babies rely on those around them to be protected by vaccination and not spread the infection to them. Up to 80 percent of babies get whooping cough from a loved one in their household (most often, it’s spread from their mom).

4. Adults often don’t know they have the illness. It may look like a common cold at the beginning of the infection and then it becomes a cough that just lingers on forever (whooping cough is also known as the “100 Day Cough”). People are contagious for the first four weeks of the illness.

So, what can you do? Make sure your child is up to date on his shots and make sure you are, too. If you can’t remember the last time you got your tetanus shot (or the last time you got one was from your own pediatrician!), you need to roll up your sleeve and get the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). You can get the Tdap vaccine—you just have to ask for it. I know that many adult medical practices do not stock the Tdap vaccine (but I won't get on my soapbox here about why they don't and why they should). If you cannot get it from your doctor, call around to your local pharmacy or grocery store.

In an effort to protect our little patients, my own pediatric practice is now offering Tdap shots for adults. Heck, if Walgreen's can offer it, so can we! I hope other pediatric practices around the country will adopt this practice as well. 

Because of the major outbreak, the state of California has expanded its vaccine recommendations beyond the standard vaccination schedule. Californians who are ages 7 and up, those over age 64, and pregnant women should receive a booster shot for whooping cough.

Let's all do what we can to make this the last fatality from whooping cough.

Similac infant formula recall

The manufacturers of the popular infant formula, Similac, have voluntarily recalled some lots of Similac powder infant formula sold in plastic containers and in 8-ounce sample cans, and 12.4-ounce and 12.9-ounce cans. There is a concern that these products are contaminated with a common beetle.

According to the manufacturer, "The United States Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) has determined that while the formula containing these beetles poses no immediate health risk, there is a possibility that infants who consume formula containing the beetles or their larvae, could experience symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat as a result of small insect parts irritating the GI tract. If these symptoms persist for more than a few days, a physician should be consulted."

Yuck.

Check out the manufacturer's website here for more details: http://similac.com/recall/, check here to see if you possess one of the products involved in the recall or call Abbott's consumer hotline, (800) 986-8850, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ALERT: Baby crib recall

Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on 2 million "drop-side" cribs involving 7 manufacturers. That brings the grand total to over 9 million drop-side cribs that have been recalled in the past five years and 32 babies who have died accidentally due to these malfunctioning cribs.

Wondering if your crib is one of those recalled ones? Check out the CPSC website.

I talked about the recall on Fox News this AM, so watch this link for more info.

Vitamin D drops, new warning for babies

How much Vitamin D does your baby need? And, are you sure you are dosing it correctly? This is the new warning coming from the FDA today. Some highly concentrated Vitamin D drops make it easy to over-dose your baby.

So what’s up with Vitamin D anyway? Vitamin D is essential for proper bone growth as well as for a variety of other body functions. And, most Americans aren’t getting enough of it. Sunshine acts as a catalyst to help our bodies manufacture Vitamin D. But since we cover ourselves in sunblock to avoid skin damage and skin cancer (the right answer, by the way), most of us are Vitamin D deficient. The main dietary source of Vitamin D is fortified milk. And, we need to drink at least 4 cups a day to get our daily dose of Vitamin D.

Babies under a year of age get their Vitamin D from either mom’s breast milk or from infant formula. Since many moms are Vitamin D deficient, so is their breast milk. And, even formula fed babies need to drink at least 32 oz of formula a day to get their recommended daily requirement of Vitamin D (and most babies won’t drink that much until at least three months of age). Hence the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that ALL newborns take a daily Vitamin D supplement of 400 IU (international units) per day.

Products like D-Vi-Sol or Tri-Vi-Sol have 400 IU in 1 ml (1 dropperful that comes with the product).

Other vitamin products are highly concentrated and contain 400 IU in just one DROP. The bonus: it’s easy to get a newborn to take that tiny volume of liquid. The drawback: it’s easy to give too much!

So, while we highly recommend Vitamin D supplements to you and your baby, please make sure of how the medication should be dosed and that you administer it properly.

Another day, another recall: Pediacare

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. There has been a recall on some Pediacare children's products, so check your medicine cabinets.

Here is the notification from the FDA:

Blacksmith Brands and FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients about a nationwide recall of all lots of four PediaCare children's products. These products are sold exclusively in the United States and were manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare at McNeil's Fort Washington, PA plant.

The four PediaCare items involved in the recall are:

PediaCare Multi-Symptom Cold 4oz. UPC # 3 0045-0556-05 9
PediaCare Long Acting Cough 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0465-04 7
PediaCare Decongestant 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0554-04 8
PediaCare Allergy and Cold 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0552-04 4

Blacksmith Brands initiated the recall as a precautionary step because the products were manufactued at a McNeil plant in which a recent FDA inspection found serious problems in meeting FDA's current good manufacturing practice requirements. The company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

Read the complete MedWatch 2010 Safety summary, including a link to the firm press release, at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm214036.htm

Major OTC Med recall for kids

The news report from this morning is that McNeil has had a major recall on numerous suspensions and liquid cold, allergy, and fever medications made for kids (which include Tylenol, Motrin, and Zyrtec to name a few). So, here is the link to the entire list of recalled products. Check your medicine cabinet and toss 'em.

Check your spice rack

There's an outbreak of food poisoning caused by Salmonella bacteria. You may have heard about the tainted salami that has gotten about 250 people sick thus far all over the country. Now the FDA is recalling some spices that may contain this bacteria. Here is the list:

• Whole Foods Asian Seafood seasoning
• Whole Foods Mediterranean Rotisserie seasoning
• Whole Foods Mediterranean Seafood seasoning
• Whole Foods Muchi Curry
• Whole Foods Southwestern Grille seasoning
• Whole Foods Toronto Steak Chicken seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Black Pepper, coarse and fine grind
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Cajun Blackened Fish Meat Seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Cracked Black Pepper
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Curry Powder
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Garlic 'n Herb seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Greek Seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Muchi Curry
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Oriental Seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Whole Black Peppercorns
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Salad Sprinkle
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Spaghetti Seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Thai Seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Toronto Steak Chicken seasoning
• Frontier Natural Products Co-op Veggie Pepper

What are the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning? Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea which can contain blood and mucus. To complicate matters, there is a stomach virus going around right now--the biggest difference between the two illnesses is what the poop looks like. If you see blood or mucus, see a doctor.