Dr.Silva: Tots, Tweens & Teens™

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5
Sep

Lead Poisoning by Teething Bracelet

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Cadmium, Children, Health, Lead, Pediatrics, Poisoning, Poisoning, Recall, Safety, Teethingno comments | Tags: braceet, cadmium, jewelry, lead, poisoning, teething

lead poisoningLead Poisoning

A 9 month old infant girl from Connecticut was found to have lead poisoning.  Doctors discovered that the young infant had a high lead level during her routine physical exam.

 

CDC Report

According to a report (http://bit.ly/2wBf8LJ) by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on August 31, 2017, her blood lead level of 41 micrograms per deciliter of lead was much higher than  acceptable.  According to CDC, an acceptable blood level is up to 5 micrograms per deciliter.

 

Home Investigation

Investigators reviewed the home in detail.  Although there was lead paint on two of the windows in the home, the infant girl was not able to reach those windows, so she couldn't have contracted lead poisoning from them.  In addition, the her 3-year-old and 5-year-old siblings didn't have lead poisoning, so the windows were not the source of the lead.  

 

Teething Bracelet

The baby girl's parents bought her a homeopathic magnetic bracelet to help with teething pain.  She had used the bracelet for teething relief, chewing on it, causing her to ingest the lead.  The homeopathic community believes magnets help with healing.  Tests on the beads of the bracelet revealed that it contained 17,000 parts per million (ppm). According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), for the most part, products containing 90 to 100 ppm are considered safe.

 

Chewing & Lead Poisoning

Please be careful with items that your child may chew on.  Sadly, each year, there are recalls on children's jewelry due to high levels of lead and cadmium poisoning (https://drsilvatotstweensandteens.com/2010/02/cadmium-jewelry-poisoning.html).  Infants and toddlers place objects in their mouths as part of their development and natural curiosity.  They learn about their world orally, in this fashion.  Depending upon the lead level in a child's body, lead poisoning has long-term consequences including, but not limited to lower IQ, speech delay, behavior problems, seizures, and death.  Treatment does not necessarily reverse the negative effects of lead on the brain and body.

 

Routine Physical Exam & Lead Testing

Please remember to follow-up with your pediatrician for your child's physical exam, as so much is done at these visits, including lead level testing, if recommended.  Consider buying a lead surface test kit for your children's toys or objects they may place in their mouths, as lead poisoning is a nightmare for any family to handle whether from teething bracelet or toys.

 
5
Jun

Teething Tablets Recalled

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Children, Health, Pediatrics, Recallno comments | Tags: Belladonna, death, fda, recalled, seizure, tablets, teething

teethingTeething Tablets Not Recommended

On April 20, 2017, the FDA recalled Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets.  This article was update on 9/16/19.

For many years now, many parents have asked me if I recommend teething tablets and if they even work.  I always told them that didn't recommend them because the ingredient concentrations are not known or clear.

 

Hyland's website used to lists the ingredients and their benefits as follows:

"Calcarea Phosphorica 6X HPUS
Chamomilla 6X HPUS
Coffea Cruda 6X HPUS
Belladonna 12X HPUS (0.0000000000003% Alkaloids)

 

HPUS indicates the active ingredients are in the official Homeopathic Pharmacopia of the United States."

 

However, since the FDA warned consumers to stop using and discard Hyland's Teething Tablets, Hyland recalled and no longer manufactures Hyland's Teething Tablets, so the above information is no longer available online.  This was updated as of 9/16/19.

 

Belladonna is listed as 12X HPUS.  How much is this?  Is it really safe for our babies? In addition, in 2010, the FDA has also advised against these tablets due to inconsistent dosing of Belladonna alkaloids from bottle to bottle (http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/12/health/hylands-teething-tablets-discontinued-fda-warning/).  If I didn't know what I was really giving to my baby, I wouldn't give it to my baby.  Therefore, if I couldn't give it to my baby, I couldn't recommend it as a pediatrician.

 

In addition, I used to tell parents that based on parents' feedback, it seemed that these tablets worked about 50% of the time. Given that it wasn't consistently helpful, I didn't recommend them.

 

Hyland's Teething Tablets Recalled

Now, I say even more. I say absolutely not. There have been ten (10) deaths linked to Hyland's teething tablets.  "The FDA concluded that the products have mislabeled the amounts of belladonna alkaloids they contain."   (http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/health/hylands-teething-tablet-fda-recall-bn/)  There have also been seizures linked to them as well. There are of course other homeopathic teething tablets. However, the same problem exists. How much of each ingredient is in each tablet? Unknown.  So, the bottom line is, I don't recommend teething tablets.

 

What To Do For Teething Pain Relief

So the question remains, what to do to help relieve the pain?  There are several recommendations:

(1) Use a cold wet wash cloth (kept in the fridge) that your baby can chew on.

(2) Have your child chew on a frozen bagel.

(3) Have your child chew on a frozen banana.

(4) Have your child chew on an ice cube.

 

Be careful with any of these items that your child can chew on.  Always supervise your baby in order to prevent your child choking.  In addition, chewing on a frozen item needs to be for a limited time to prevent physical injury due to prolonged cold.  I recommend using a fresh food feeder.  This is essentially a small mesh bag that your infant can chew on without choking.  As always supervise that as well.  

 

Teething is a painful time in infants' lives.  However, teething tablets or bells that contain belladonna and/or benzocaine are not recommended.

 

7
Dec

Bumble Bee - Chicken Salad Recall

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Recallno comments | Tags: Bumble Bee, chicken salad, recall, safety
Here we go again; yet another food recall.  Remember the spinach recall? How about the peanut butter recall?  Now, it's Bumble Bee Chicken Salad.  It seems that the list goes on and on.
 

Currentlchicken salady, there is a food safety bill in Congress that attempts to reduce the food borne illnesses that we have been facing as a nation. The Senate has passed the bill 73-25.  It is now in the House. I hope it becomes a law.

 
According to Western Farm Press, Senate Bill 510 would give the "Food & Drug Administration (FDA) broad new authorities to issue mandatory recalls of suspected contaminated foods, increase the frequency of inspections for food facilities, and standardize information collected on food products to improve the agency’s ability to trace the history of those linked to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. The FDA also would gain access to records of domestic food facilities in emergencies and would be empowered to bar importation of high-risk foods if the products lacked proper certification or if US inspectors were denied access to processing facilities."
 

The recalled products are:

1) Bumble Bee Lunch on the Run Chicken Salad Complete Lunch Kit – 8.2-ounce package (UPC 8660070741) with a "Best-by" date of 07/11.
2) Bumble Bee Chicken Salad with Crackers Ready-to-Eat Kit – 3.5-ounce package (UPC 8660070350) with a "Best-by" dates of 01/12 and 02/12.
 
For more information about this latest recall, please go to www.bumblebee.com/bumble-bee-foods-voluntary-recall-list-of-products.  
 
In the meanwhile, happy safe eating 🙂
24
Sep

Similac Formula Recall

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Recallno comments | Tags: Abbott, beetles, contamination, formula, powder, recall, Similac
baby formulaOn September 22, 2010, Abbott Laboratories Inc announced a recall of many of their powdered infant and toddler formulas. None of their liquid ready-to-feed formulas were included in this formula recall.
 
The reason for the formula recall is that their plant in Sturgis, Michigan was found to be contaminated with beetles and larvae. Although only 0.2% of the formula produced at the plant was contaminated, this involves approximately five (5) million units.
 
The Food and Drug Administration has stated that children who have consumed the contaminated formulas may have experienced gastrointestinal discomfort or refusal to eat or drink.
 
To discover if your specific formula has been recalled, go to http://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20170112154225/http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ArchiveRecalls/2010/ucm226885.htm or call (800) 986-8850.
 
You can also obtain information regarding refunds and formula returns. You will need the lot number on your container.
The following powder formulas have been affected:
Similac Advance LCP with Iron Powder
Similac Advance Early Shield Powder
Similac Sensitive with Iron Powder
Similac Sensitive R.S. Powder
Go & Grow Milk Powder
Go & Grow Milk Early Shield Powder
Go & Grow Milk with Early Shield
Go & Grow Soy Powder
Similac Organic Powder
Isomil Advance Powder
Isomil Advance Early Shield Powder
23
Aug

Salmonella Poisoning - Egg Recall

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Health, Recallno comments | Tags: diarrhea, egg, fever, recall, salmonella poisoning
egg recall, salmonella poisoning
On August 13, 2010, there was a voluntary nationwide recall of 30 million eggs by Wright County Egg Farms in Galt, Iowa. FDA investigation is ongoing. The eggs are sold under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps. To put this in perspective, this represents less than 1% of all eggs produced in the U.S. Eggs affected can be found at http://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20170112154426/http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ArchiveRecalls/2010/ucm224085.htm.
Hundreds of cases of Salmonellosis have been diagnosed since June 2010, affecting people in California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin. No deaths have been reported to date.
 
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacteria that is passed on in several ways. Chickens can have it in their feces or in their ovaries. Hence, it can be passed through the egg shells or be within the egg itself. As a result, there are stringent egg cleaning and testing procedures for hens throughout the country.
 
What are the signs and symptoms?
Fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting can occur within 12 to 72 hours after consuming the undercooked contaminated egg. These symptoms can last up to approximately one week.
 
How can I prevent this infection?
First, check if your eggs are one of the eggs on the recall list. If so, return them in the original carton to the store. Check the dates and codes on the bottom of the egg carton. For detailed info, go to http://www.eggsafety.org/ or call the Egg Safety Media Hotline at (866) 272-5582.
 
Second and most important, the only safe egg is a fully cooked egg. So, cook your eggs thoroughly. That means fully boiled or cooked eggs and fully cooked scrambled eggs are safe. However, sunny-side up, over easy, runny scrambled eggs are not necessarily safe; eating them puts you at risk of contracting Salmonellosis, otherwise known as Salmonella poisoning.
Lastly, be aware of eating uncooked eggs or foods that contained uncooked eggs, especially when dining out. For example, Hollandaise sauce has uncooked eggs. Avoid it, whenever possible.
 
If infected, do we need to be treated?
Most children and adults do not need antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics prolong the length of time you are contagious. Usually, the only treatment needed is a bland diet with electrolyte drinks to help replenish the electrolytes lost through diarrhea.
Children less than three (3) months old, the elderly, and anyone who’s immunocompromised must be treated. Otherwise, the infection can spread into the blood, resulting in a serious and potentially deadly infection.
As always, if you or your child is sick, contact your doctor, if you have any questions.
8
Aug

Drop Side Cribs: Closer to a Ban

Author: Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP | Category: Children, Health, Recall, Safety, Sleep, Sleepno comments | Tags: ban, crib, death, injury, recall, safety
Photo by CPSC
Nationwide, manufacturers are recalling their drop-side cribs left and right. Recently, over two (2) million have been recalled due to an increased number of injuries and deaths. This brings the total to over nine (9) million that have been recalled in the last five (5) years. Some of the manufacturers affected include Pottery Barn Kids, Simmons, Bexco, LaJobi, Jardine, Evenflo, Delta, Child Craft (out of business), Graco, Simplicity, Generation 2, ChilDESIGNS, Stork Craft, Simplicity, PlayKids USA, and L.A. Baby. Sadly, the list does not end here. It goes on and on. To check to see if your crib has been recalled, go to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
 
The injury or death can occur when the drop-side crib’s hardware comes loose, leaving a gap between the baby’s mattress and the rail, leading to suffocation or strangulation. Since 2000, these cribs have resulted in at least 32 deaths and 16 cases of entrapment in infants and toddlers, with another 14 deaths linked as well.

About two (2) weeks ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (http://www.cpsc.gov/) proposed a new standard that cribs manufactured for sale or resale must have four (4) fixed sides. If passed, it is predicted that as early as Summer 2011, drop-side cribs will be banned sale, re-sale or use in stores, hotels, and daycare centers.

What should you do if you have a one? Stop using it. Contact the manufacturer or search their website. Many are offering kits that will immobilize the rail. If no such kit is available, please consider replacing your crib. Although the deaths have been few, your child could become one of the rare ones. It is not worth taking the chance.

You can also go to the CPSC’s Crib Information Center @ https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs.

If you have further questions, you can call the CPSC Recall Hotline at (800) 638-2772.

 

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