Category: Health

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Current Events Health Household Parenting

End of Second-Hand Children’s Clothing & Toys?

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UPDATE- JANUARY 9, 2009

On January 8th, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety clarified this law in a press release, and stated: “Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.”

While this is good news for the second-hand shops, I still hope they clarify the position for home-made toys.  Thanks to Deb and AK who commented on this post and left the link to the revised information.  I would like to point out that I wrote this post on January 6, two days before the clarification was released.

     *****************************************************************

I buy most of Ryan and Cole’s clothes second-hand.  In the town I live in, there are a few really nice second-hand stores, as well as a semi-annual kids consignment clothing sale from Just Between Friends.  Most of my friends buy their children’s clothes second-hand as well. 

It makes great financial sense for several reasons.  When you factor in how much new clothes cost, and the fact that kids grow out of these clothes so fast, it doesn’t seem like you really get your money out of the clothes. If you are the parent of a boy, you know how fast they can wear holes through their pants. I remember buying Ryan a new pair of fleece pants last winter.  I think I paid $20 for them, and he had a hole in them the second time he wore them. 

I can usually go to the Just Between Friends Sale twice a year, and buy all the clothes the boys need, including pajamas, shoes, coats, and even find high quality toys too.  I spend less than if  I bought them just a few outfits brand new from some of the popular kids stores. However, it could be come illegal on February 10th, for second-hand children’s clothing and toys to be sold. 

A new federal law will go into effect on this date, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It requires all products sold for children, including clothing, to be tested and certified as lead-free.  In theory this sounds like a great law- after all, we don’t want our kids exposed to lead, but in reality it is not practical for second-hand clothing and toys to be tested.     

Many business owners who sell second-hand children’s clothes, and charitable organizations such as The Salvation Army, are anticipating having to throw thousands and thousands of clothing items away.  Some businesses will have to close.  Parents who rely on stores to provide affordable clothing, would have to cut money elsewhere from their budgets.  None of the second-hand items will have the lead free certification, so selling them will be illegal. 

Handmade and second-hand toys, will also become illegal to sell, unless the creators can pay up to $4,000 per item to have each toy tested.  Obviously small business owners can not afford to pay this for every second-hand item they carry. 

I am all for making sure our children’s clothing and toys are lead free.  But this law seems to go too far for second-hand items, and has the potential to harm families, business owners, and the economy overall. I don’t want to see the wonderful second-hand stores in my town close.  They provide a very valuable service to the families in my community. 

Many shop owners are contacting their Congress representatives hoping to have the law amended to allow the sale of certain types of clothing and toys. I hope an amendment passes, otherwise, saving money on children’s clothes and toys, will be a thing of the past.

You can contact your Congress representatives to voice your opinion, and you can check out the Homemade Toy Alliance  for more information and petitions you can sign. 

I would love to hear your opinions on this issue.  Are you worried about lead in children’s second-hand clothing and toys, or do you think this law goes to far in banning these items?

Categories
Current Events Health

Melamine in US Infant Formula- UPDATE

In a previous post, I wrote that trace amounts of melamine had been found in US infant formula.  Melamine is the same harmful chemical that was found in Chinese infant formula, which killed three babies, and sickened as many as 50,000.

Last month, the FDA said they were unable to determine any level of melamine exposure that is safe. But on Friday, they determined that threshold of 1 part per million of melamine in formula is safe, provided a related chemical is not present. This conclusion was drawn with no new studies done, and with only 74 samples being tested.

Melamine becomes harmful when combined with Cyanuric acid.  I wonder if the FDA knows that cyanuric acid is a byproduct of melamine, which means there is a good chance the two chemicals will be found together.  Yet, the FDA insists formula is safe.  When members of Congress and the Illinois attorney general, demanded a national recall of formula,  the FDA said it made no sense because there was no evidence the formula would be harmful for babies at the level of contamination found.   

From an AP article on this issue: A scientist for a national consumer group said it was irresponsible of FDA to assure the public that infant formula is safe based on tests of only 74 samples, especially since cyanuric acid is a byproduct of melamine, making it likely that they will be found together.

“This is a slippery slope of rationalization by FDA,” said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist with the Consumers Union in New York. “FDA needs to get a handle on how widespread the problem is and, most important, if both these chemicals are occurring in any products. They just haven’t tested enough to know that yet.”

The 1 part per million that the FDA has said is safe, is the same standard public health officials have set in Canada and China, but it is 20 times higher than the most stringent level in Taiwan.

On Wednesday, the FDA posted these results on melamine found in US infant formula producers: Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron found melamine at levels of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million. Three tests of Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid.

The third major formula maker – Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac – told AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula. Those levels were below what FDA found in the other formulas, an Abbott spokesman said, and below any national safety guidelines.

This seems totally irresponsible of the FDA.  They are completely ignoring the risks that melamine can post to infants. Babies have underdeveloped systems, and there are not enough studies that have been done to determine what levels any exposure to melamine can pose to a baby.  What about babies who are born pre-mature, or may be sick-what affect does exposure to melamine have on these babies?  What are the long-term risks to babies who are exposed daily to melamine?  What steps and quality control issues are formula companies taking to assure parents their formulas are safe, and will not have any melamine in them?

Sadly, it seems like this declaration from the FDA creates more questions than answers.  Jenna, a mother of an infant who is fed Similac from Abbott Laboratories, received this letter from Abbott, in response to her concerns about her baby’s formula:

Hello Jenna,

Thank you for contacting Abbott Nutrition.

Abbott infant formulas are completely safe and we stand behind them.

Melamine is not an ingredient or additive in our formula.

The type of melamine found in trace amounts in infant formula is
approved for food contact and is used in all sorts of food packaging
including some infant formula containers. These trace amounts of
melamine have not been shown to cause health problems.

By contrast, the tainted milk in China that caused children to become
sick was due to intentional adulteration.  That is, unscrupulous farmers
and milk producers deliberately contaminated their milk with melamine in
order to cheat on quality tests.  That situation is entirely different
from what we have found in the United States.  The Chinese milk that
made babies sick contained up to 10,000 times the amount of melamine
that has been found here in the US.

Out of an abundance of caution, we confirmed that no milk or milk
proteins that we use come from China. For extra safety precautions,
Abbott Nutrition conducted extensive testing of all our ingredients to
confirm no presence of melamine in the ingredients used to make our
infant formulas. There was no melamine detected in our powdered or
liquid formulas over the standard 1 part per million.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition stated “[moms] should not be changing the diet. If
they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed
that product.  That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

We are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations for the
formula that helps your child grow strong and healthy.

Kind regards,

Consumer Relations
Abbott Nutrition

This letter doesn’t answer HOW Abbott is going to ensure no melamine will be found in their formula.  I don’t use formula, but I did not find this letter, nor the response from the FDA reassuring or informative at all.  It seems like a scramble to get some type of reassurance out to parents (whether it is true or not) and a case of CYA at best. 

Just because the FDA says an amount of a harmful and toxic chemical is “safe” it doesn’t mean it is good for you.  I could accidently swallow a “safe” amount of bleach, or gasoline.  It doesn’t mean that I won’t have any side affects, or that it won’t harm me.

Babies are the most vulnerable, and it does not seem logical that the FDA would be so quick to assure parents exposure to melamine won’t harm their babies.  I find it very interesting that the FDA accepted the levels of melamine found in the US formulas as the safe level.  Why not err on the side of caution and adapt the most stringent level of “safe” melamine, like Taiwan has done?

I posted in my last post, the contact information to the formula companies, and it may be worth it to contact your local Congress representatives, and your state’s attorney general.  In addition, if you wish to contact the FDA, here is their contact information:

FDA Comment (food section-you have to hit the link on this page in the second paragraph which says to leave a comment): https://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-top.html

Categories
Current Events Health

Melamine Found in United States Infant Formula

Melamine, the harmful chemical found in Chinese infant formula, that killed at least 3 babies and made as many as 50,000 sick, has been detected in trace amounts in infant formula sold in the United States.

The FDA says it found traces of melamine in samples of the top-selling infant formula, but the amounts found no pose no danger.  However, the FDA said just last month that they are unable to determine any level of melamine exposure that is safe. 

As a mother, I wonder how the FDA can make this statement, since scientists have said they have not had enough time to determine how the melamine could affect infant’s kidneys, and bladders, which are not fully developed. 

Melamine can bind with other chemicals in the urine, to potentially form kidney and bladder stones, and in some cases, cause kidney failure.

There have been no reports of any ill infants in the United States.  It does seem to be cause for concern though.  According to Wikipedia, melamine is described as as being “Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Chronic exposure may cause cancer or reproductive damage. Eye, skin and respiratory irritant.”  It is also an irritant when inhaled or in contact with the skin and the eyes. 

Wikipedia  cites a study in which “a toxicology study conducted after recalls of contaminated pet food concluded that the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid in diet does lead to acute renal failure in cats.”

Melamine has been found by the top producers of infant formula, in the United States- Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson.  These three companies manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States, according to the Associated Press.  The AP says a third major formula maker told them that their in-house tests had also detected trace amount of melamine.

The AP story on this, gives examples on how melamine could have ended up in formula- one way is melamine is contained in a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment and can leach into the products being prepared.

No matter how melamine has ended up in infant formula, it is outrageous and unacceptable.  Melamine clearly can pose a threat, to adults-not to mention babies whose organs are underdeveloped.  Not only can no one say what a “safe” level of exposure is, it appears the only safe level is none at all.  Not to mention what chronic exposure, even at a “safe” or “low level”can do long term, to a baby.

Parents who chose or have to use formula trust these companies to make sure their product is safe.  Clearly this gives parents cause for concern, and the makers of formula need to take immediate steps to assure NO amount of melamine is present in formula.

What parent would knowingly risk exposing their baby to a harmful chemical like this?  Most parents go out of their way to make sure their babies do not come in contact with harmful chemicals. Formula is not cheap, and some parents pay premium prices for it,  And yet-through no fault of their own- parents have been exposing their babies to melamine, because the formula companies they have trusted to provide safe formula, has failed them.

Take a moment and let these formula companies know how you feel about even small traces of melamine in their formula. Here is the contact information for the three biggest formula producers in the United States:

Abbot Labortories: E-mail Link: https://similac.com/contact-us or Phone: 1-800-232-7677 (M-F 8-5, Central Time)

Nestle: E-mail Link: https://www.nestle.com/Common/Header/ContactUs.htm

Mead Johnson (Efamil): E-mail Link: https://www.meadjohnson.com/app/iwp/B2CLoadContactFormInfo.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&csred=1&r=3405127602  or Phone: 1-800-Baby123 M-F 7am-7pm, & 8-4:30, Saturday, Central Time

Mead Johnson World Headquarters: Phone: 1-800-429-5000, M-F 7:30-4 Central Time

Cross posted on BlogHer

Categories
Health

Mother Nature’s Pharmacy

I have always been interested in healthy eating, but like most people, there is always room for improvement.  I have been trying to make us fresh fruit smoothies for us, a few times a week to get some extra fruits into our diet. 

We all know that so many fruits and vegetables can help specific health issues, and I received an e-mail recently that summarized it all very nicely.  It is amazing we really do have everything we need on this earth, to keep us healthy.  

Remember, to get the most nutrients from fruits and veggies they should be eaten raw.  If you know of any other Mother Nature’s cures, please let me know.

 

     A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

   A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

 Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

 A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums .  Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

  Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

  Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

  Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this?  It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

  Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

   Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

  Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body’s cells. Today’s research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

  Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Categories
Cole Family & Friends Health Mothering Pregnancy & Birth Ryan

Split Lip & Blood

Ryan will be five in January, and up until Saturday night, we have been such perfect parents <joke>, had the luck of never having to take him to the emergency room. 

It had just finished raining on Saturday night, at 7:30.  Ryan was begging to go outside in the backyard and play.  We told him sure, and off he went-running. A second later we heard him screaming, like we have never heard him scream before.

Joe went outside to see what was wrong, and when I heard him say “Where did all this blood come from?” I ran outside too.  Joe was carrying Ryan in, and I was horrified to see a lot of blood running down Ryan’s mouth.  I couldn’t even see his mouth-it was that bloody.  I had no idea what had happened, but saw his chin was bleeding and so was his knee. 

Poor Ryan was so hurt and upset.  Through his tears he kept saying “My blood, my blood.”  I think it freaked him out to see so much blood, and when I glanced out the kitchen window, I saw our entire walkway in the backyard was covered in it. He obviously fell, and either bit his lip as he fell, resulting in the cut, or the impact when he fell made him bite down on his lip.  

As we cleaned up his mouth, we saw that his lip was split, just behind his lip, and it was deep.  Joe thought he needed stitches, so we left for the ER.

To make a really long story short, the ER was backed up for hours.  A nurse graciously came out and told me we would be sitting there for hours. She looked at Ryan’s lip and said he did need to be seen by a doctor.  Thankfully my brother, Jeff, had been at home, and was able to look up the number to the Children’s Hospital Urgent Care Clinic in a town about half an hour away for us.  I called and they were open until midnight, and she said there was only about a fifteen minute wait.

Ryan in the meantime, had calmed down a bit, but he was still really in a lot of pain.  His mouth had stopped bleeding too.  He kept coughing though in the car, like he was gagging, and I was hoping he wasn’t going to be sick-probably from all the blood he had swallowed.  He didn’t want to drink anything, and he screamed if we so much put ice near his mouth.

By the time we had waited at the ER, and drove to the urgent care center, and finally was seen by a doctor, two and a half hours had passed.  The doctor said it was our call if we wanted Ryan to have stitches.  She said fortunately, since the wound was on the inside of his mouth, there would be no scaring, and she said mouth wounds heal very fast.  She also said all his teeth were fine.  We didn’t really know what to do- the wound looked so bad, so I asked her what she recommended.

She said if it was her son, she would skip the stitches.  She said it would require a numbing shot, and then the stitches.  Joe and I agreed with her. Ryan was finally calm, and acting better (I am sure the Motrin the nurse gave him was helping), and we didn’t want to put him through any more trauma and stress, especially if it wasn’t needed.  The doctor gave us some tips for cleaning the wound, and told us it should look better in a few days-not worse.

We left.  Joe and I were starving- we had fed the boys dinner, but we hadn’t eaten before all this happened.  There was a Wendy’s open, and Ryan asked for a Frosty, so we were happy he was feeling better. 

Cole was just amazing through all of this.  He was SO good and acted like such a big boy.  At one point he kept pointing to his mouth, and saying “Ouch,” and wanted me to kiss his mouth.  I think he was having sympathy pains for his brother.

We got both the boys a Frosty, and drove home.  Around 11, we finally got Ryan to bed, and he was so tired.  He fell right asleep. 

On Sunday, his knee was sore, but he was feeling a lot better and had no problems eating, even though his lip is really swollen and the wound is black and blue.  He went to his grandparents house with Joe, and had fun helping Dad and Grandpa cut down a tree, but he also took a long nap. 

I’m glad in this case, the injury looked worse than it was, and now we have experience in dealing with a mouth wound.  It never ceases to amaze me how resilient kids are, and how fast they can bounce back.  It is kind of amazing we haven’t had more of these episodes, but with two active boys, I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of the urgent care/ER yet.