U.S. officials find trace of melamine in baby formula

[UpInArms]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials have uncovered trace amounts of the chemical melamine in one sample of infant formula sold in the United States, a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The amount found in the sample was no cause for concern, said FDA spokeswoman Judy Leon said. "There's no basis for concern because we're talking about trace levels that are so low ... that there's absolutely no risk," she told Reuters.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AO9FZ200...

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move along, folks, no story here

[Crunchy Frog]

1. Thankfully, I plan on breastfeeding.

[ret5hd]

3. hmmm...i somehow thought you were already weaned.

i kid, i kid.

[Kittycat]

8. Kudos

I BFd & Pumped for both of my boys

[Crunchy Frog]

9. I've got two boys on the way.

I hope I can actually manage it.

[UpInArms]

10. ...

my boy just turned 15 - don't think we would have survived 2 of them

[pnwmom]

11. Have fun eating! And drinking!

Don't worry -- if you take care of yourself and get enough rest, you'll do just fine. But for a few months, you'll need other people helping to do everything else.

[tavalon]

14. If they come early, try to stand your ground

The NICU I work for gives lip service to breastfeeding but they subvert it any chance they get. It's really frustrating.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. I don't understand what the motivation would be for subverting it.

Any idea why that is?

[Kittycat]

19. Because it interupts the nurses routine.

I had my son at 24wks (surviving twin). The hospital we delivered at was 3 hours from where we lived (visiting family) - and by chance was all about encouraging me to pump. They even got DH involved from Day 1, telling him it was 'his job' to make sure I stayed on schedule, and transferred the milk/cleaned the bottles while I rested afterwards (I had a rough recovery). After 4.5 mo, we transferred our son to a different NICU (we spend 6.5mo combined in NICUs), and I couldn't even get a lactation consultant to come up for 10 days. The nurses were rude, and just looked at me like I was nuts when I asked where I put my milk for storage. The first week, they tried to tell me my son couldn't even use my breast milk, because it hadn't been approved by dietary yet. I pitched the biggest fit EVER SEEN.

I also witnessed them telling new moms not to pump, to just not add the stress it wasn't worth it. Sorry, but it WAS worth it. I was able to produce for my first son for 7.5mo, and back stock 2 months in the freezer before my supply gave up on me (I tried everything to keep it going). After 9.5mo, without the BM - my son developed the most severe reflux imaginable. He stopped eating completely, and to this day (nearly 5 years old), he's still on a feeding tube and pump for total nutrition. We're making steps, but it's slow (he now plays with food, but still won't eat or taste it).

Anyway - the difference from one NICU to the other was so extreme, that it still makes my skin crawl. I regret having to transfer him to that hell hole, but we had no idea - and once it was done, it was done.

I'm not trying to scare you, but if you are referred to a perinatologist (risk/close monitoring) - since you're carrying twins, request a tour of the NICU and meet the Nurse Practitioner (there's typically at least two or more on staff), as well as one of the neonatologists just to make sure you feel comfortable with the set-up (You want to deliver at a level III NICU/hospital, btw). Also, if you find that you're in a situation that requires you to deliver early... There's a great book called, "Preemies: The essential guide..." it's a must have for navigating the NICU.

[tavalon]

21. Good for you!

In our NICU, they give lip service to being breastfeeding friendly and we do have lactation specialists (and even the nurses are supposed to have extra training, but I seem to be the only one and I got mine elsewhere) and we store mother's milk but then we won't let the babies nurse at the breast until they've "mastered" a bottle and we don't have the appropriate equipment to be able to SNS and so the nurses think it doesn't work well (and it doesn't when you are trying to rig equipment to work like an SNS).

No nurse on my unit would say it or believe it, but they are really schedule oriented and they aren't breast friendly. The last two nights, I probably spent a third of each of my shifts helping a woman who had become engorged and would likely have not been able to breast feed without intervention and the other nurses thought I was weird for taking all of that time! It's really frustrating. I know there are hospitals out there who never even introduce the bottle unless it's absolutely necessary. I would love it if the next place I work is more like that. I even had one nurse try to steer me away from moving to another hospital based on the idea that it's too family friendly. Geez! Needless to say, I consider that a selling point.

[Eurobabe]

23. You can do it! Good for you CF

I nursed mine too. Many moons ago, but they have always been healthy girls.

[KewlKat]

2. I wonder how long the contamination, so matter how small

has been in our infant formulas? We know what it did to our dog and cat population. I keep wondering what could be causing the skyrocketing diagnosis of autism. I realize that many in years past may not have received a correct diagnosis, as in all disease, but perhaps these children have been consuming contaminated formula for years without us knowing about it and I wonder if Melamine may be contributing to the escalation?

[quidam56]

4. China regulates US

We can go to Walmart and buy cheap toxic products ain't it grand. Not to mention the fresh produce from China fertilized with ( Night Soil ) or as we know it, human waste.

Here in coal country USA the schools are so old and outdated they can't even power up the latest technology kids in Applachia deserve to compete on a global scale, yet we sure can power up China's factories, schools, businesses, etc. Appalachia has become Third World USA thanks to Presidebt Bush and THE COAL INDUSTRY !

END MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL ! Quit blowing the hell out of our home leaving only destruction in it's wake !

http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[nc4bo]

5. Oh shit. Why am I not even surprised, just surprised it took this long to be discovered. nt

[geomon666]

6. There's poison in baby food. But don't worry, it's just a little. n/t

[ohio2007]

7. lemme guess, product of china ?

[McCamy Taylor]

12. A few days ago, FDA said there was NO SAFE levels of melamine in infant foods.

I guess that was because they had not found it yet.

[smoogatz]

13. The least they could do is tell us which brand(s).

I mean, the fucking LEAST.

[CountAllVotes]

15. no basis for concern

no basis for concern MY ASS! How soon will it be before we start seeing sick/dying babies here in the USA?

How many have died already?

HOW MANY DEAD BABIES? WHY IS THE SOURCE OF THIS CONTAMINATION NOT BEING REVEALED? IS IT WIDESPREAD ALREADY DARE I SUGGEST?

[UpInArms]

18. well, you have to consider that those children are really not worth

that much concern their deaths will only affect a very minor few and those that do not die will affect no one and the consumers can march on and on - buying these crap products so long as they don't think that there is no competition - after all there are several different brands on the shelves - showing that competition is alive and well (who cares about dead babies - after all dead babies don't buy anything! )

[htuttle]

20. We're *already* seeing sick and dying babies in the USA

Not to divert the subject from the topic at hand, but the USA currently ranks 29th (from the lowest) in infant mortality rates world wide. And we've been ranking worse and worse for some years.

Melamine in baby formula is really bad. Not providing enough health care in general for infants is even worse.

[area51]

24. Great post.

And also, I'd like to add, where is the concern of the so-called "pro-lifers", the ones who get upset about abortion, but are always completely silent about infants dying after birth. They don't care about poisoned infant formula, nor do they care when parents can't afford healthcare for their babies.

[AllyCat]

17. NO RISK is not the POINT!!!!

The point is that it is in there at all indicates tampering! Jeez, this FDA is horrid. It's hard to believe anything they say. And they do now allow melamine in certain things...infant formula was supposed to be one of the no-nos, but they will probably find a way to justify that too. Once again, "pro-life" is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Once they are out of the womb, who cares if we poison them?

[Romulox]

22. "Free trade" means that the lowest common denominator sets the regulations.

In other words, melamine will permanently be an ingredient of baby formula (and everything else made with milk powder).

I stopped buying Kraft products after learning they were the biggest importer of Chinese milk powder in the country.