This crossed my path a few days ago, not only has melamine been found in formula in China Toxic Milk Scandal: 300,000 Sick But then it was found here too (where we were previously assured it couldn’t happen) in the three biggest U.S. manufacturers: Abbot Labs, maker of Similac; Mead Johnson, maker of Enfamil; and Nestle, maker of Good Start. These brands comprise 90 percent of all formula sold in the United States. Whoa. Of course, just before this was found out, when Melamine was the ‘problem’ of the Chinese, the FDA had a zero-tolerance approach. No Melamine. And with good reason, melamine can bind with other chemicals in urine, potentially causing damaging stones in the kidney or bladder and, in extreme cases, kidney failure. Not good for adults, or pets, and really really bad for infants. And the FDA on Oct. 3, said: “FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns.”
Good for them, right?
Only now, the FDA says that trace amounts of the industrial compound alone are not harmful. Trace Levels of Melamine In Formula Called Safe AND Consumers should keep using infant formula, a spokesperson said. Switching to alternatives or homemade formula could result in infants receiving inadequate nutrition.
Wow. And as we all know, switching from formula TO breastmilk is rarely an option.
The good news is that the FDA and formula industry are running experiments right now to find out how much melamine is TOO much melamine. The bad news, the experiments are being run on infants worldwide.
xox,
Heather
[...] Melamine Standards! What the…? : Mama is… [...]
I was appalled and yet not surprised when I read this the other day… I read an article published in a Canadian magazine (INFACT, I believe is the name) that talked of a study that shows that children who were fed iron fortified formula had lower IQs than children who were fed non-fortified formula. Their conclusion was that obviously the formula companies never bothered to study if adding iron was a good thing, they just did it. I’m so glad that my 3 children never drank a drop of formula and were all breastfed for at least 17 months (the age of the youngest who will likely nurse until she’s 2 or 3).
I just read an article about this too at Fit Pregnancy. I also wondered when it became safe to ingest melamine. Hmmm. Once again, I am so glad I chose to breastfeed my son!
I BFed my DD until she was 3 years old. I have a friend who is BFing her 5 and 3 year olds. But at the same time, my brother’s ex-wife and her mother think that BFing is the ‘most disgusting thing in the world…’
Unfortunately, it may get worse before getting better. And hopefully with the speed of the internet and news, more moms will finally ‘get it’ through their thick formula-fed skulls that the only way to survive is to go back to the basics – breastfeeding, natural birth, everything in moderation, etc!!
I have also heard in this economy that mothers are skimping on formula (not mixing it to proper dose) and the babies are suffering
What, you mean the FDA isn’t looking out for us? That they change their requirements to suit corporations over citizens? Say it isn’t so.
Here’s an article about strollers you may find interesting:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/11/22/health-highlights-nov-22–2008.html
i know one source of infant food that doesn’t contain any melamine… *hint hint*
unreal… yet people will read that and be ok with it, instead of really really pissed off. it makes me crazy mad.
thanks for the info
heather now in MAINE!
I saw this on the news the other day and figured you’d have something to say. What’s next? A “safe level” of cigarette consumption for pregnant women?
And yet if you are a formula feeding mom – imagine how scary this is, like the stuff is inescapable. Maybe it is so scary that you decide the nice blue pool of denial is more comfortable and so you decide to trust the assurances.
My question is how long has melamine been being substituted for real protein in all these human and animal food products? Did “they” (that guy in China who killed himself, and other guys still around) start out with a tiny bit and nothing happened so they thought “OK we’re on to something here” ? Has it been for years and years and the amounts slowly increased until they reached fatal/noticeable levels?
Maybe the scary experiment has already been done. I’m glad that Jayn has never had a drop of it.
Good Lord. It’s like something from a bad science fiction movie.
Oh, and I wanted to add, to you, Heather: when people (unwantedly) rub your belly, rub theirs back. I did that during my last two pregnancies, and it totally freaks people out!!
I wrote a blog post summarizing the time line and the FDA’s press releases about it, if you’re interested:
http://jeremyscorner-grifter.blogspot.com/2008/12/all-about-benjamins.html
Completely off topic…
but where is the calendar woman?? I know you are growing a baby and are busy and having a life, but I am running out of months in last years calendar here! What am I gonna hang in my kitchen this year? How will I keep track of the days?? What if I don’t know what day it is?? hmmm… well???
Heather in Maine
“Don’t worry Moms, the levels of poison in your baby’s formula are SAFE! We can all rest easy!”
This is so sad. Thank goodness my daughter is breastfed.
Also completely off topic but on the calendar topic…Happy Birthday!
Robyn (#8), actually, funny you should mention a “safe level” of cigarettes… about 10 years ago, a friend of mine was unexpectedly pregnant & not quite ready to give up her partying ways. her OB actually told her that she could smoke up to 3 cigarettes a day! can you believe that?!
I wonder how long the trace amounts of this stuff has been in formula here in the U.S.A. I guess they don’t know since they never checked it before? My younger son has had just a bit of formula, when I first went back to work, but my older son had quite a bit of it, as we did both formula and BF with him.
When my friend’s mom was pregnant, her doctor told her NOT to give up her one beer a day or her smoking, because the resulting withdrawal would be worse for the baby than the effects of those things. I can’t say I see the logic in that… but then, I don’t really see the logic in putting something that’s on fire into my mouth, either. So maybe it’s me.
So what do you do when your breasts are “broken” or you get pregnant and your baby hates the taste of the “new stuff”?
What are we to do? I may go out and buy my own goat…
(Ask the woman with breast health issues)