Feds Warn against Using Milk Thickening Products for Premature Infants

Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | Lawyer Marketing

The Food and Drug Administration and Los Angeles product liability lawyers are warning against using a brand of milk thickening agent that is often used to thicken breast milk or formula given to premature infants.  The product, SimplyThick, has been linked to a serious and potentially fatal intestinal condition called necrotizing enterocolitis.

Premature infants suffer a number of health challenges which can include swallowing difficulties.  Such infants may be at risk of malnutrition because they tend to spit out most of the milk.  One way that parents and caregivers deal with this problem is by adding a thickening agent to the formula or breast milk.

SimplyThick is marketed as a thickening agent for use by infants, premature babies and senior citizens.  All these people may suffer from swallowing difficulties that can be helped by the use of thickening agents.  However, the Food and Drug Administration is now warning that premature babies may be at a high risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis from this product.

The Food and Drug Administration is aware of at least 15 reports of infants who fell ill after using the product.  At least two of these infants died.  Most of the necrotizing enterocolitis cases seem to have occurred when the baby was in the hospital, or had just been discharged from hospital.

The main ingredient in SimplyThick is xanthan gum, which is also found in most processed foods.  Adults and older children can easily digest xanthan gum, but pre-term babies may lack the intestinal development to tolerate xanthan gum.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents of premature infants to avoid using the product if the baby is still in the hospital, or has been discharged from the hospital less than a month ago.  If your baby has consumed SimplyThick, look out for symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis, which include blood in the stools, greenish vomit and bloating.

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