As Lola explained yesterday, Lactalis is proceeding to remove all lots of products for babies that have left the factory in Craon (France), to make sure that what happened with the child in Bilbao and dozens of children in France does not happen to anyone else.
We talked about a case of salmonellosis (Salmonella infection) in a baby who had a little less than a month When it all started The Diario Vasco has spoken with her and her words are clear: How does contaminated milk arrive at a Pediatric consultation?
The story of little Marcos
He was born on August 22 and when he was about 20 days old, his mother took him to the pediatric clinic because he noticed that he was constipated and complained about his belly. There, the doctor recommended changing milk and gave him a sample of Damira Pro 1, a milk with hydrolyzed proteins with which he considered the baby would be better.
Although at first he thought he was doing great, because he was less irritable and the poops were becoming softer, he soon began to do diarrheal bowel movements, and seeing that the fever went up up to 38.5 ° C They decided to go to the hospital, where he stayed for two days.
Stool culture showed that the child suffered a salmonella infection, and began to investigate to know the possible cause, asking him about the milk he drank and if at home they had animals such as birds, snakes or turtles.
A month later they had to return to the emergency room with the little one over 40 of fever and pale complexion. There they saw that he suffered a strep sepsis (not related to the previous infection, but could have fought in a better state of health if he had not had salmonellosis), from which he also managed to recover.
Weeks later they were confirmed that it was the only case of infection with salmonella agona, which had affected 37 children in France as a result of lots of contaminated baby food. The mother called Lactalis, who confirmed that her case was as a result, and that they would take care of the medical expenses.
Marcos is a salmonella carrier
But the mother is willing to claim damages, asking all these questions: "How is it possible that contaminated milk arrives at a pediatric consultation? What quality controls have passed? Why did they not tell me before?" .
And is that Marcos, in addition to everything he has already lived in his short life, has to continue to grow stool every month for a while, and although it seems already recovered is a salmonella carrier, so that their parents have to exercise extreme hygiene after changing the diaper to avoid spreading themselves, or other people.
How does a contaminated milk get to pediatrics?
It is a very good question, if you do not know that these things sometimes happen. Contaminated milk comes to a pediatric consultation and arrives at the pharmacy, and anywhere, because artificial milk powder is not sterile, and although it generally does not carry significant risks, sometimes it is contaminated by some bacteria such as salmonella or Chronobacter, especially in small babies it can become very dangerous.
But this is not all. The question should really be another: How does a starter milk come to pediatrics?. In Diario Vasco they have explained it this way:
The doctor recommended that she change her milk and gave her a sample in a small boat - usual practice - of a special brand anti-constipation that is acquired only by prescription, Damira Pro 1.
They are right, it is a common practice. But that does not mean that it is a legal practice. In Spain there is a law that regulates the manufacture and distribution of start and continuation formulas, which is Royal Decree 867/2008, which in Article 9.4 states that:
Manufacturers or distributors of infant formulas are prohibited from providing the general public, pregnant women, mothers or members of their families, products below the cost price or by symbolic price, samples or any other promotional gift, and either directly or indirectly through health services or health personnel.
Or what is the same, it is prohibited that manufacturers or distributors send samples of infant formulas to health services or health personnel, which is the milk that is given to babies from birth to at least 6 months of age (the number 1).
Yes, it is a common practice, but that does not mean that it remains illegal. Health professionals we should not give samples of type 1 milk (and Damira Pro 1, although it is hydrolyzed, is still a preparation for infants).
What if the bottle was prepared as recommended by scientific societies?
For a few years (more than 10 years) WHO recommends that the bottles are prepared with water at a temperature between 70 and 90 degrees so that, in case the powder has salmonella or Chronobacter the probability of infection is much lower. The CDC (US disease control centers) also joined this recommendation, also the health service of Great Britain (NHS), and in 2016 the Generalitat de Catalunya, in the most recent food guide we have in Spain (and with the latest evidence), where we can read this:
Pour the necessary water immediately to the bottle. Wait 3 minutes for the water temperature to be close to 70 ºC, add the powdered milk in the amount recommended by the pediatric team and shake the bottle. The water at 70 ° C is hot enough to destroy the bacteria that may be in the milk powder.
If health professionals explain that the best way to prepare a bottle is with water at 70 ° C the risk of infection by any pathogen present in the artificial milk powder would decrease. But it is likely that Marcos's mother was not explained.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | The water to prepare the bottle must be boiled yes or yes, Artificial milk is not sterile, Why BabyNes is not recommended for babies, How to clean the bottle?
