China recalls another herbal drug after baby death

health.yahoo.com — China has recalled a herbal remedy after it was blamed for the death of a newborn baby, state media said Monday, in the latest health scare to hit the country. The 9-day-old baby in the northern province of Shaanxi died after being injected with "Yinzhihuang," a remedy containing herbal extracts and used to treat liver diseases and infantile jaundice, the official Xinhua news agency said. Three other infants had suffered "adverse effects" after being injected and hospitals have been told to stop using the drug, the report said, citing the Ministry of Health. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

States ask baby product companies to avoid BPA

news.yahoo.com — Attorneys general from Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware sent letters Friday to 11 companies that make baby bottles and baby formula containers, asking they no longer use the chemical bisphenol A in their manufacturing because they said it was potentially harmful to infants. The Food & Drug Administration has tentatively concluded that BPA is safe based on a review of research, and some manufacturers have already said they would make BPA-free baby bottles. But Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal criticized the FDA for declining to take action after a preliminary study last month drew a possible connection to BPA and risks of heart disease and diabetes. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Bedroom Fan Cuts SIDS Risk by 72%

health.msn.com — ust keeping the air moving around a bedroom seems to dramatically reduce a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), new research suggests. "What we found in this study is that if an infant had a fan that was used in the sleeping room, the infant's risk of SIDS was reduced by 72 percent compared to no fan in the room," said study senior author Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist in the division of research at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif. The report appears in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Although the rate of SIDS has declined significantly in recent years -- from 1.2 per 1,000 births in 1992 to 0.53 per 1,000 births in 2003 -- SIDS is still a leading killer of infants. Li said the prevailing theory is that SIDS occurs because an infant re-breathes carbon dioxide and doesn't have either the strength to move from harm's way or a properly developed neurological system to warn of the impending danger. "For whatever reason, carbon dioxide is trapped in the airway," he said. And the exact reason that happens is still unknown. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Bacterial Infections May Be Overlooked in SIDS Cases

health.msn.com — Bacterial infections may be an overlooked cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), an Australian study suggests. The research examined post-mortem reports on 130 babies who died of SIDS, 32 who died suddenly as a result of infection, and 33 who died of non-infectious causes. This was followed by an analysis of bacterial isolates from normally sterile sites (such as heart blood, spleen, or cerebrospinal fluid) in all the babies. Infection at a sterile site was rare in the babies who died of non-infectious causes but was present in 20 percent of the babies with sudden infection and 10 percent of the SIDS babies. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Protecting Newborns From a Dangerous Threat

health.msn.com — One in four women in the United States carries a bacterium that could cause a debilitating and life-threatening infection in their newborn babies. And many don't know it. Infants who contract Group B streptococcus before or during birth can be miscarried, stillborn, or die soon after birth. Those who survive often suffer permanent disabilities such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation and cerebral palsy, according to Group B Strep International, a nonprofit group dedicated to informing the public about the disease. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Most Moms Give Up on Breast-Feeding

well.blogs.nytimes.com — Three out of four new moms try breast-feeding over the bottle, but most of them have quit by the time the baby reaches six months, a new study shows. A report from Brigham Young University shows only 36 percent of babies are breast-fed through six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast-feeding through the first year. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Mother's Diet Taints Breast Milk

medindia.net — A group of 18 women were asked to provide samples of breast milk before and after eating capsules containing various flavours. New Scientist magazine reported that banana could be detected for an hour after consumption, while menthol lasted for eight hours.Previous work suggests a breastfeeding mother's diet affects her baby's taste.Mothers are often concerned that their baby may be put off breastfeeding or become upset if they have eaten strongly flavoured food.But the research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that, in most cases, the taste will only change for a few hours at most. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0

Worrisome Rise in Underweight Babies

medbroadcast.com — The percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to its highest rate in 40 years, according to a new report that also documents a recent rise in the number of children living in poverty. The data on low birth weights is worrisome because such babies - those born at less than 5.5 pounds - are at greater risk of dying in infancy or experiencing long-term disabilities. read more...

add a comment | category: Baby Health | Views: 0