FDA Issues Parasite Warning on Herbal Colic, Teething Remedy

[Amelia]

FDA Issues Parasite Warning on Herbal Colic, Teething Remedy

Friday, September 21, 2007

Associated Press

Federal health authorities warned parents Thursday not to give babies a liquid herbal supplement marketed as a remedy for colic and teething pain because several bottles tested positive for a parasite that may have a sickened a 6-week-old infant in Minnesota.

Lab tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration confirmed the presence of Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause diarrhea and intestinal infections, in unopened bottles of apple-flavored Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, according to the FDA. The supplement's distributor, MOM Enterprises of San Rafael, Calif., said it had recalled about 17,600 bottles of the product that were being sold through the Internet and at retail stores nationwide.

The Minnesota baby so far is the only person with a reported illness possibly linked to the product, which is sold in 4-ounce bottles with the code 26952V and has an expiration date of October 2008.

The FDA said that people infected with Cryptosporidium generally display symptoms within two to 10 days. The most common symptom is diarrhea, and other symptoms include dehydration, weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Health officials advised consumers to discard any of the product they have and to consult a pediatrician if it was consumed by a child who seems sick.