News Moms Need

Smucker’s® is recalling its Natural Peanut Butter Chunky because it may have Salmonella, bacteria that cause salmonellosis infection. People with salmonellosis can get sick and may have diarrhea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.

The recall is for Smucker’s® Natural Peanut Butter Chunky with the following details:

• Purchased between November 8 - 17, 2011
• UPC 5150001701 (located on the side of the jar’s label below the bar code)
• Production Codes 1307004 and 1308004
• Best-If-Used-By dates August 3, 2012 and August 4, 2012
• Chunky product only (not creamy)

In most healthy adults, symptoms can last for days. But pregnant women, babies and others with weakened immune systems can sometimes become seriously ill from Salmonella infection.  Occasionally, a pregnant woman can pass a Salmonella infection on to her baby. After birth, her baby can get diarrhea, fever and, less frequently, meningitis after birth. Meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain.

Visit the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website for more information on the peanut butter recall.

We’ve all heard the warnings about getting too much sun, and how you should use sunscreen.  So, in preparation for my family summer vacation, I went to my local pharmacy to pick up a bottle or two.  I was bombarded by so many varieties that I stood there for nearly 20 minutes trying to figure out what to buy. In addition to the many levels of SPF, there were many descriptions to consider, such as “water resistant,” “waterproof,” “sweat resistant,” “ultra sweatproof”, etc.  Yikes! It was such an overload of information that even I was stunned by it (and I like this sort of geeky, health care kind of stuff!).
 
So, I decided to do a little bit of research to try to get to the “bottom line.” It was then that I found out that last month the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed the labeling rules to make them more simple. (Please see their press release and this Medscape article for more info.) Manufacturers will have about a year to change their labels. 

In the meantime, here is a short lesson on sunburn jargon…

There are two types of rays that cause skin damage – ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B (UVA and UVB). Both can cause premature aging and skin cancer, however, UVB rays are what cause sunburn. In order to be adequately protected, you need a sunscreen that protects against both kinds of rays.  With the new rules, manufacturers may only label a sunscreen as “broad-spectrum” if it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
 
SPF ratings refer to the protection factor from sunburn rays (UVB) and don’t protect you from the UVA rays - the higher the number, the more protection against sunburn. Think of it as your skin needing a thicker coating of the lotion in order to be sure that you don’t burn. You should use an SPF of at least 15. Anything less than that does not provide adequate protection. Under the new rules, the FDA is considering limiting SPF numbers to 50, as they do not see a substantial increase in protection with SPF numbers higher than 50.

The FDA will no longer allow the terms “sunblock,” “waterproof” and “sweatproof” (yeah!!!)  The term “water resistant” will be allowed if a manufacturer documents that their product keeps working even after you go in water for 40 minutes or 80 minutes. Hence, you’ll see the term “water resistant- 40 minutes” and “water resistant- 80 minutes.”  This labeling will be helpful in protecting kids who love to swim.

So, until the labeling changes go into effect, to protect your skin from sunburn, cancer and premature aging, here is the bottom line:
• only use products that specify “UVA and UVB” protection, with a SPF rating higher than 15;
• use a “water resistant” product if you intend to go swimming;
• reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating, (even if you use “water resistant” sunscreen).

And remember to limit time in the sun, wear cover-ups and hats, and drink plenty of water.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging parents not to give premature babies (babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) the thickening product called SimplyThick. The product may cause a life-threatening health problem called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). With NEC, tissue in the intestines gets inflamed and dies.

Some premature babies have trouble swallowing. SimplyThick is a product that’s added to breastmilk or formula to make it thicker. Health providers recommended SimplyThick because it helped premature babies swallow their food and keep it down, without spitting it up. SimplyThick was available from distributors and local pharmacies.

The FDA learned that some babies got sick with NEC after they were sent home on an eating plan that included SimplyThick. Sadly, some of these babies died. NEC most often happens early in a premature baby’s life while she is still in the hospital, not after she’s sent home. NEC is very dangerous to a baby’s health.

At this time, the FDA isn’t sure what about SimplyThick is making babies sick. The organization is actively looking into the link between SimplyThick and these illnesses and deaths.
 
In the meantime, the FDA urges parents to stop using the product immediately, even if their babies don’t appear to be sick.

Call your baby’s health care provider if she shows any of these signs:
• bloated stomach
• greenish-tinged vomiting
• bloody stools

For more information on SimplyThick and the risk to premature babies, visit the FDA website.

About 5 million Similac powdered infant formula containers, including Isomil and Go & Grow, are being recalled. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that these containers may have insect pieces or larvae in them.

The recall is for milk and soy-based Similac powdered infant formulas sold in United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and some Caribbean countries. Some of these formulas were given to families through the federal government’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) health and nutrition program. Similac liquid formulas aren’t being recalled.

If you’ve already fed your baby some of the recalled powdered formula, the FDA reassures that your baby won’t have any long-term health problems. In the meantime, if you have a recalled container, stop using it immediately and return it to the manufacture for a full refund.

To learn more or to see a complete list of the recalled powdered infant formula products, visit the FDA Web site. You can also look at the lot numbers printed at the bottom of the formula containers and enter them in the search box on this FDA Web page to see if they’re part of the recall. Contact Abbott (makers of Similac) at (800) 986-8850 with any questions.

Four types of Pediacare cough and cold medicines for children have been recalled. The recall is a precaution. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently found problems at the plant where the medicines were made.

Products recalled include PediaCare Multi-Symptom Cold, PediaCare Long-Acting Cough, PediaCare Decongestent, and PediaCare Allergy and Cold medicines. If you have any of these products in your home, stop using them.

A reminder: Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold products to infants and children younger than 4 years of age. According to the FDA, these products can have serious and life-threatening side effects. For more information about colds and young children, read the March of Dimes article.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns about BPA, a chemical used in plastics. BPA is used to make plastics clear, strong and hard to break. Some baby bottles, dishes and toys contain this chemical. BPA stands for bisphenol A.

Some studies have linked BPA to developmental problems in the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and young children.

The FDA and other organizations are conducting in-depth studies about BPA. Until we have more answers, the FDA has several recommendations for parents, including:

* If plastic baby bottles and infant cups contain BPA, discard them if they have scratches. 

* Do not put boiling or very hot liquids, such as formula, into plastic bottles or containers that contain BPA.

* Read the label to see if a plastic container is dishwasher safe. Don’t put it in the dishwasher unless it is.

Plastic products for babies are now available that do not contain BPA.

Two companies have recently recalled food products. Parkers Farm, a food company in Minnesota, has recalled several products because of possible contamination with Listeria. This bacteria can cause a type of food poisoning that can be especially dangerous for pregnant women and small children.

The recalled products include peanut butter, bagel spreads, dips, cheese and salsa. They are sold under the brand name Parkers Farm and other brand names, incuding Kroger, Dutch Farms and Central Market.

For a list of all the products in this recall, visit the Web site of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Nurture, Inc., has recalled some Happytot and Happybaby meal pouches. The packaging is defective and could lead to contamination with bacteria. For a list of all the recalled products, visit the FDA Web site.

Ouch! Your tooth hurts, and you wonder if you have a cavity. I don’t know about you, but I hate going to the dentist. But sometimes we have to put on our brave faces and make the appointment.

Is it safe to have a tooth filled while you’re pregnant? Some dental fillings contain mercury. When these fillings are placed in teeth and removed from teeth, they release a small amount of mercury vapor. Mercury vapor may also be released when a person with a filling chews.

In general, pregnant women should avoid exposure to mercury because it can harm the nervous system of the developing fetus. So it’s a matter of balancing the small risk of mercury exposure against the health benefits of dental fillings.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued its latest recommendation on fillings. The FDA says that mercury fillings are safe for most people, including pregnant women. (BTW: The FDA uses the technical term “amalgam” to mean “filling,” so don’t let the language confuse you.)

If you are pregnant and need to have a tooth filled, talk to your dentist about the options available to you. Healthy teeth are part of having a healthy pregnancy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking several steps to reduce the risk of overdose from Darvon (also called Darvocet and propoxyphene). Darvon is usually prescribed for pain. Every year, some people die when they take too much of this medication.

As a result of the FDA decision, label warnings will be strengthened, and new research will be done.

If you need a painkiller, talk to your health care provider about the choices available to you, including aspirin, ibuprofen, oxycodone and codeine. For all medications, take only the recommended amount and no more. If you are pregnant, don’t take any painkillers without first talking to your health care provider.

Several news organizations have reported that the Food and Drug Administration is hosting a meeting this week about how to prevent people from taking too much acetaminophen. Known as Tylenol, this medication is also used in pain relievers such as Excedrin.

Although acetaminophen is in almost everyone’s medicine cabinet, it can be a dangerous drug if you take too much of it. Every year people in the United States die from an overdose of this drug. Acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S.

So when you or your children are taking acetaminophen, be sure to follow the instructions exactly. Acetaminophen is also used in some medications that contain more than one drug (for example, in some cough syrups and pain relievers). Again, follow the directions exactly.

For more on acetaminophen, click here. Of course, if you’re pregnant, don’t take acetaminophen without first talking to your health care provider.