Similac Infant Formula Recalled due to Beetle infestation

Abbot Laboratories, the makers of Similac infant Formula, have announced a voluntary recall of about 5 million containers of their powder formula.  The reason? Brace yourself.

You know how people always make those dumb cracks about kids who eat bugs getting extra protein?

Pieces of beetles and beetle larvae were found both in the formula and in the plant that produces the formula. Ewwwww.

According the the FDA, there should be "no immediate health risk" to babies who have consumed this formula, but could experience symptoms of "gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat as a result of small insect parts irritating the GI tract." 

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An Update on the McNeil Recall of Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec

If you've been wondering when infants' and children's liquid Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec would reappear on drugstore shelves, the answer is no time soon.

Today, I received a letter from McNeil Consumer Healthcare (Ironically addressed to Mrs. Bernstein, despite the fact that my husband was actually the one who spoke to McNeil on the phone to secure our refund!) to update me on the status of recalled products.

The gist of the letter is basically that they are "conducting a comprehensive quality review…and have identified corrective actions that we will take before we begin manufacturing at the plant where the recalled products were made" and that it take at least until the end of 2010 before they are able to begin selling these medications again.

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Letting baby cry it out causes brain damage?

My 3.5 year old took forever (or what seemed like forever) to sleep through the night, and an eon longer than that to start going to sleep without being held or having his back patted. Once we finally had him on track, he was hospitalized for his asthma, which sent us back to square one.

My 1 yr old hates to sleep. She is so super alert all of the time that it is near impossible to get her to sleep during the day or at night…in fact, we have all but resigned ourselves to letter her nurse, be rocked or pushed in the stroller until one of those 3 no longer works.  I'm a big believer in the methods of The Baby Whisperer (Tracy Hogg) but, with a second child and no nanny I've been more going with the flow out of necessity this time around.

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