Hundreds of infants in China have developed painful kidney stones after ingesting infant formulas, manufactured in China, that may contain melamine.  Melamine is the substance behind last year’s widespread pet-food recall that left untold numbers of cats and dogs in the United States and elsewhere suffering from kidney disease.  Hundreds of pets died because of kidney failure linked to the chemically tainted pet foods.

Kidney stones are a very rare condition in infants but a growing number of such cases have swept across China in recent weeks, leaving investigators to suspect melamine in infant formulas as the culprit.  Melamine can mask the protein profile of milk, making milk-based products appear to contain higher levels of protein than they actually do.

On September 12, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced to caregivers in the US that there is no apparent threat of melamine contamination in the US when infants consume baby formula manufactured by companies that meet US requirements for selling baby formula.  Most major US-based food manufacturers meet FDA safety requirements for milk-based infant formulas, as does SHS/Nutricia, an English marketer of milk-free infant formula.

The federal agency is concerned, however, that infant formulas manufactured in China may contain melamine.  The agency has expressed particular concern for China-made infant formulas, especially those sold in small specialty markets serving the Asian community.

State health officials are working with federal officials to remove any suspect infant formula from store shelves, particularly formulas made in China.  They are also urging citizens to discard before using any such infant formulas already purchased.

The FDA urges all adult caregivers to seek immediate medical attention for any infant who may have consumed Chinese-made infant formulas, especially if any changes to the child’s health status is noticed.

Source: FDA