walmart recalls enfamil newborn
Wal-Mart has pulled a batch of
powdered infant formula from more
than 3,000 of its stores nationwide
after a newborn Missouri boy who
was given the formula became
gravely ill with a suspected bacterial
infection and died after being taken
off life support, the retailer said
Wednesday.
No government recall had been
ordered for the 12.5 -ounce cans of
Enfamil Newborn powder with the
lot number ZP1K 7G. Manufacturer
Mead Johnson Nutrition said its
records showed the lot tested
negative for the bacterium before it
was shipped.
But Wal-Mart spokeswoman Dianna
Gee said the company decided to
pull the lot "out of an abundance of
caution" while health officials
investigate Sunday's death of 10-
day-old Avery Cornett. The product
could go back on shelves depending
on the outcome of the investigation,
but customers who bought the cans
have the option of returning them
for a refund or exchange, Gee said.
Gena Terlizzi, spokeswoman for the
Missouri Department of Health and
Senior Services, said Wednesday that
samples of the formula given to
Avery were sent to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and
the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration for testing.
"At this point it has
not been
determined
whether the illness
is linked to the
formula or an
outside source,"
Terlizzi said in a
statement.
The Lebanon Daily
Record reported
(http:// bit.ly/
vwyAs5) that Avery was taken to St.
John's Hospital-Lebanon late last
week after appearing lethargic and
displaying what his family said were
signs of a stomach ache. He was
later moved to St. John's Hospital-
Springfield, and preliminary tests
showed that he had contracted a
rare bacterial infection, Cronobacter
sakazakii, the newspaper reported.
He died Sunday after being removed
from life support.
Avery had been fed Enfamil
Newborn powder bought at a
Walmart store in Lebanon. The
store stopped selling the product
after learning of his death.
Christopher Perille, a spokesman for
Glenview, Ill.-based Mead Johnson
Nutrition, said Enfamil Newborn
powder is sold at a variety of
retailers, but he didn't have
information about whether other
companies received units from the
lot now being investigated.
Perille said all of the company's
infant formula products are put
through a battery of tests as they
are produced, packaged and sealed.
"One of the things every batch of
product is tested for is Cronobacter,"
Perille said. "We went back and
checked on the batch in question,
and it had tested negative for
Cronobacter."
Public health investigators seeking
the source of Avery's infection will
also look at environmental factors,
such as the water used in preparing
the powdered formula, and at
anything else the baby might have
ingested, Perille said.
The Missouri Department of Health
is advising parents to follow World
Health Organization guidelines for
safely preparing powdered infant
formula, Terlizzi said.
"This includes washing your hands
with soap and water, thoroughly
sterilizing all feeding equipment in
hot, soapy water and preparing
enough formula for only one feeding
at a time," she said.
powdered infant formula from more
than 3,000 of its stores nationwide
after a newborn Missouri boy who
was given the formula became
gravely ill with a suspected bacterial
infection and died after being taken
off life support, the retailer said
Wednesday.
No government recall had been
ordered for the 12.5 -ounce cans of
Enfamil Newborn powder with the
lot number ZP1K 7G. Manufacturer
Mead Johnson Nutrition said its
records showed the lot tested
negative for the bacterium before it
was shipped.
But Wal-Mart spokeswoman Dianna
Gee said the company decided to
pull the lot "out of an abundance of
caution" while health officials
investigate Sunday's death of 10-
day-old Avery Cornett. The product
could go back on shelves depending
on the outcome of the investigation,
but customers who bought the cans
have the option of returning them
for a refund or exchange, Gee said.
Gena Terlizzi, spokeswoman for the
Missouri Department of Health and
Senior Services, said Wednesday that
samples of the formula given to
Avery were sent to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and
the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration for testing.
"At this point it has
not been
determined
whether the illness
is linked to the
formula or an
outside source,"
Terlizzi said in a
statement.
The Lebanon Daily
Record reported
(http:// bit.ly/
vwyAs5) that Avery was taken to St.
John's Hospital-Lebanon late last
week after appearing lethargic and
displaying what his family said were
signs of a stomach ache. He was
later moved to St. John's Hospital-
Springfield, and preliminary tests
showed that he had contracted a
rare bacterial infection, Cronobacter
sakazakii, the newspaper reported.
He died Sunday after being removed
from life support.
Avery had been fed Enfamil
Newborn powder bought at a
Walmart store in Lebanon. The
store stopped selling the product
after learning of his death.
Christopher Perille, a spokesman for
Glenview, Ill.-based Mead Johnson
Nutrition, said Enfamil Newborn
powder is sold at a variety of
retailers, but he didn't have
information about whether other
companies received units from the
lot now being investigated.
Perille said all of the company's
infant formula products are put
through a battery of tests as they
are produced, packaged and sealed.
"One of the things every batch of
product is tested for is Cronobacter,"
Perille said. "We went back and
checked on the batch in question,
and it had tested negative for
Cronobacter."
Public health investigators seeking
the source of Avery's infection will
also look at environmental factors,
such as the water used in preparing
the powdered formula, and at
anything else the baby might have
ingested, Perille said.
The Missouri Department of Health
is advising parents to follow World
Health Organization guidelines for
safely preparing powdered infant
formula, Terlizzi said.
"This includes washing your hands
with soap and water, thoroughly
sterilizing all feeding equipment in
hot, soapy water and preparing
enough formula for only one feeding
at a time," she said.
Comments
I give my daughter liquid enfamil, I hope its doesnt come in the stocks here in phoenix,az
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