Baby bibs sold at Wal-Mart recalled

The discovery of lead in the fabric of a brand of baby bibs sold at Wal-Mart Stores has resulted in a recall of the items, the company said.

The bibs, sold under the Baby Connection brand name, came in packs of two to seven bibs, with embroidered prints or images of Sesame Street characters. Some were sold as long ago as 2004. The bibs were made by Hamco Inc. exclusively for the Bentonville-based retailer.

Mia Masten, a Chicago-based spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said the vinyl portion of the bibs exceeded the lead levels set by Illinois for children's products. She said the company had worked with the Illinois attorney general's office to pull the items and later decided to expand the recall nationwide.

Masten said about 60,000 of the bib bundles were sold in Illinois without any reported injuries.

Masten said officials with the world's largest retailer have been in contact with Hamco, but referred all questions about the products' manufacturing to Hamco.

Officials at Hamco, a subsidiary of Crown Crafts Inc. of Gonzales, La., said the company has no comment and referred questions to Wal-Mart.

The Illinois attorney general's office identified the bibs as being sold between June 2004 and the end of March of this year in Wal-Mart stores throughout the state. Tests on three styles of the bibs tested positive for lead more than 600 parts per million, Illinois' standard for lead in children's products, said Robyn Ziegler, a spokeswoman with the attorney general's office.

While Wal-Mart pulled the product from its shelves nationwide, Masten said only customers in Illinois would be eligible to receive refunds or replacements. It wasn't immediately clear why the refunds only covered Illinois.

Initially, Masten said the recall only pertained to Illinois. Later Wednesday, she said it was nationwide.

Wal-Mart's recall comes after a lawsuit over the bibs by the Center for Environmental Health, based in Oakland, Calif. Alexa Engelman, a researcher there, said the center became aware of the bibs in September. Engelman said a report by an independent laboratory test contracted by the center showed the bibs contained 16 times the amount of lead allowed in paint.

Lead, used as a stabilizer in vinyl plastic, can be "easily substituted" for other products, Engelman said.

Public health experts consider elevated levels of lead in blood a significant health hazard for children. Studies have repeatedly shown that childhood exposure to lead can lead to learning problems, reduced intelligence, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. There is no lead level that is considered safe in blood, and recent studies have shown adverse health effects even at very low levels.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a statement Wednesday saying that the bibs were safe if in good condition. However, if a bib "deteriorates to the point that a baby could pull or bite off and swallow a piece of vinyl containing the lead, then the amounts of lead consumed could approach levels of concern," the agency said.

Source : http://www.thestate.com

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No autism - celiac disease link

Autistic children are no more likely than other children to develop celiac disease, according to an Iranian study that challenges the findings of previous work.

The team analyzed blood samples from 34 autistic children and 34 children without autism. The researchers checked for two antibodies -- anti-gliadin and anti-endomysial antibodies -- used to help detect celiac disease.

In order to confirm whether they had celiac disease, biopsies of the small intestine were offered to the six children (four with autism, two without autism) who tested positive for either antibody. Biopsies on all six children were negative for celiac disease.

The researchers concluded that autistic children aren't more likely than those without autism to develop celiac disease.

"This study shows food allergies often associated with autism may have no connections to the gluten intolerance experienced by people with celiac disease," study author Dr. Samra Vazirian, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said in a prepared statement.

The study was expected to be presented this week at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, in Boston.

Source : http://www.health24.com

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Parents abandon ailing baby

A baby boy with a hole in his heart has been abandoned by his parents at a hospital in Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi.

A hospital has offered to treat the baby free of cost but parental consent is required.


His parents abandoned him and are untraceable because they are just to poor to pay the hospital bills.

Eight days ago Rajesh and Rubi were informed that their child, delivered six weeks before schedule, was seriously ill. Doctors advised the couple to move the baby to a bigger hospital because his heart problems needed expert attention.

Since then there's been no sign of the parents. On Tuesday morning Rajesh finally called the hospital to check on the baby and promised to show up but so far the baby is still alone.

''He called today so we are hopeful he'll come for the child soon. The child's ailment was such that even here the charges were Rs 5000 a day but we told the parents we'll help as much as we can,'' said Anish Dhar, CEO, Life Line Health Care Hospital.

The hospital says it's likely that the financial strain of having their baby treated has scared Rajesh and Rubi away. Rajesh works as a peon at a factory in Manesar. NDTV found their house locked.

''They left on (April) 22 saying they are going to be with their baby in the hospital,'' said their landlord.

Apollo Hospital has contacted NDTV that they will treat the child free of cost but they need the parents' consent to transfer the baby to their care.

For the three-week old baby boy, who has barely opened his eyes to see the world, it is already a battle - a battle as much for survival as for the love of his parents.

Source : http://www.ndtv.com

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