Health Canada Warns Parents About Baby's Bliss
A product for ill children is found to carry the dangerous parasite cryptosporidium and Health Canada is warning parents about it. Where does the product come from? China? Nope.
How about California? Yep and the product is natural too. Nothing more natural than a good 'Ole parasite sharing the planet with us. Anyway, here's what Becky Rynor at the CanWest News Service reported over the weekend:
Health Canada is telling parents not to use two natural products for treating upset stomachs in infants and children because of potential bacterial contamination.
Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavor, 26952V, is a natural health product given to babies to "ease stomach discomfort and gas often associated with colic, hiccups and teething," Health Canada said in an alert to consumers.
The product is distributed by MOM Enterprises, Inc. in California and is sold in a 118.26 milliliters plastic bottle in a cardboard carton. The label reads: Baby's Bliss Pediatrician Recommended Gripe Water Apple Flavor.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the product contains the parasite cryptosporidium which can infect the gastrointestinal tract. "Infections due to cryptosporidium may cause watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and, in some cases, death," Health Canada said.
The other product does have a China connection. Its Zhong Ti Xiao Er Jian Pi San, batch number JPS0704, manufactured by MOH Pharmaceutical Technologies in Malaysia and distributed through Singapore by Chung Kuo Refined Chinese Medicine Dealers Ltd.
Health Canada said this is a also a natural health product used to treat upset stomachs and digestive problems in children. It comes in powder form in a 20 gram pack.
Neither product can be legally sold in Canada, but Health Canada says parents might get it on the Internet or by traveling to the United States. It looks like Bliss built its business on the Internet, but its now advertising that its products are "now available at Walgreen's."
We'll be checking to seeing if our parasite-finding FDA is doing anything on this side of the border.
