Similac formula recall

Oh, no. Some powdered Similac formula is being recalled because there might be beetles in it:

http://abbott.vo.llnwd.net/o18/similac/recall/default.htm

(I guess better beetles, which are gross but not poisonous, presumably, than chemicals or something else, but still.)

Click through the link to find the serial numebrs to see if yours is in the recall.

Comments

[CG]

As someone with low milk supply (who is still breastfeeding at 7+ months, thank you) who needs to supplement quite substantially, this underscores the vulnerability I feel about safely feeding my baby. As with his older brother, in some ways I count the days until he's one and I don't have to worry about feeding him such specialized food. Of course, then I can worry about the quality of the cow's milk he's getting. Sigh.

[Shalini]

I always bought the bigger canisters.. but still... it's a beetle and that's gross, but my 1 year old tried to eat a dead doodlebuy that we somehow misses in our sweeping/cleaning, so at least it's "organic" material.

[Shalini]

I meant doodlebug!

[MrsHaley]

Though I'm a lactivist through and through, I HATE that this recall is going to be used by the insensitive among us to flog people who use formula with proof that nursing is better because how can feeding an infant beetles and their larvae be better in any way than breastmilk?!?

I've already seen fb posts to this effect and it angers and frustrates me. Mothers I know whose babies need the recalled formula are panicked and scrambling. They do not need the additional distraction of people criticizing a decision that is, at this point, a fait accompli.

PS: I have found undigested Japanese beetles in my son's diapers. Almost whole.

[CG]

Thanks Mrs. Haley, that put things in perspective! I know that my son eats dog hair and leaves when I'm not looking...

[SarcastiCarrie]

I nursed (and pumped) and kept my pumping supplies in the pantry in the kitchen. I used to pump in the overnight hours when the baby would take a long sleep and then only nurse one side. In the morning, I would get up and clean out the pump stuff and put a cap on the bottle, refrigerate it, etc. One morning, I found that there had been ants in the pantry (and in the horns of the pump) before I pumped. I just picked the ants out of the (most precious and valuable) milk and went on with my life (but I did shuffle up the bottles without looking so I wouldn't "know" which one had the ant in it so I wouldn't be grossed out).

[Raia]

I'm so grateful to read the empathy from those who don't have to rely on formula.

[lisa]

last night my husband drank a fly with his wine (first glass,not, you know, out of tipsiness) eeeew, and my daughter carried around a pale dead earthworm in her mouth at 3 years old. She IS an animal lover. We used solely formula, and had great results. Sorry that those of you who now have babies expecting similac-flavored food might be facing a struggle! You will be in my thoughts.

[Chris]

@MrsHaley you said it beautifully. No one needs to make these poor mothers feel bad as they are scrambling to find safe nutrition for their baby!

[Melba]

I use Similac for my 8 month old. Not the powder, we use the concentrate. But still... hello? Quality control?

@Sarcasticarrie, I love the ant story! hahaha! Reminds me of when we had a wee little mouse problem. Cleaned the mouse turds off the pantry shelves but did not throw away any of the pantry food (there were no obvious chewed out holes in boxes or bags of stuff, but still the little buggers were running all over the containers and boxes with their grimy little feet).

[FriendWithMilk]

I'm in a bit of an unusual situation.. my friend is a first time single dad to a 2 week old baby (born 4 weeks early). As I'm still nursing my own 15 month old DD, I've offered to pump milk for his daughter and he is grateful. However his ped. wants me to hold off until there is no more blood in the baby's stool. The ped. has just switched her to a special formula that is easier to digest. I'm not positive but I think it may be a Similac.

How do I let him know about the recall, and the new universe of recalls in general, without coming off as sounding like I'm trying to push my breastmilk?

[Clare]

@FriendWithMilk, just tell him. Send him a link to a reputable source. If you're worried about seeming pushy, mention to him that this is the only brand that's been recalled, and he should ask the ped what other brand's s/he would suggest.

[Clare]

I mean, brands. Pesky apostrophe.

[magie]

Rather than having commercial milk for your babies there is a safest way to feed them- breastfeeding. Just try to think losing weight is just one of the those benefits of breastfeeding, insteresting isn't it? I do hope that similac management will do their best for the wellness of our babies.

[Claudia]

@magie, I am sure you mean well. But as stated earlier in this thread, there are myriad reasons a person may not be breastfeeding (legitimate physical reasons, such as underproduction, despite work with doctors, lactation experts, dietary supplements that normally increase supply, etc.), above and beyond 'just not wanting to.' For many, it is utterly heartbreaking to not be able to breastfeed.
Therefore it is so fortunate that there is formula available for all the people who need it, such as the single dad to a 2-week-old mentioned above, who have no other option. When their source of nutrition for their baby then becomes unsafe, it would truly be devastating.

[akeeyu]

Magie, please don't.

Take a page out of Mrs. Haley's incredibly gracious and generous book.

[eep]

The American-made formula I feed my 6 month old is some of the safest, most consistent, well-tested and monitored food available. It is certainly better than the chicken nuggets I occasionally feed my 3 year old. The beetles are probably better than the chicken nuggets I occasionally feed my 3 year old. This recall is testament to the fact that the system sometimes works appropriately.

[Slim]

"The beetles are probably better than the chicken nuggets I occasionally feed my 3 year old."

hee.

And thank you, Mrs Haley. As someone whose nursing simplified her life during a similar freak occurrence (hurricane, no power for more than a week with a newborn), I hate it when what is often a complex choice gets turned into worst-case scenario fodder.

[Melissa]

I have been wracked with guilt. I have been phasing out breastfeeding (at almost 8 months old) and increasing formula consumption. I felt good about this decision and proud of myself because my goal had been 6 months. What formula was I using? Similac that has been recalled. I now feel so anxious and bad about my decision. My opportunity to pump at work has diminished without a lot of hassle (it took longer than I thought so I would have to alter a limited train schedule which would me almost 14 hours away from the baby/work day. I figured it was more important to spend time with her and pump less).

[Donna]

I think we need to remember that this is a common beetle and that kids eats bugs every day. The FDA allows a certain amount of bugs in all food production, including formula. Also, there is no evidence of any bugs in the formula and this is a voluntary recall. We have a few quarts of the liquid at home, so we're going to use that for the weekend, watch for further news developments, and think about this. I don't want to switch my 9 month old daughter off Similac b/c the switch will be harder on her system than eating bugs will be. I have 2 34oz tubs at home that are on the recall list and I might just use them anyway. Call me crazy.

[Cloud]

@Melissa, please don't feel guilty. The beetle thing is gross sounding to our American sensibilities but really, truly not likely to be harmful. When I was in Thailand, I could have bought fried bugs to eat from street vendors. I am an incredibly picky eater, so I passed on this opportunity... but my point is, this seems to me to be more ick factor than risk factor.

I am lucky that I have a computer based job so time pumping can also be spent working. If I had your choice to make (pump, but get less time with my baby or formula, and get more time with my baby) I'd probably do the same thing you did. You can still nurse in the morning and at night and as much as your baby wants on weekends, if that is what you want to do. Just be aware that there is often a supply dip around 9 months- if that happens to you but you still want to nurse, just keep going. It didn't last long with either of my babies (but freaked me out both times).

[Donna]

My daughter, 2 weeks ago, put a whole live frog in her mouth. Now that could be a serious issue! She's 4...what the heck?

[Melba]

@Donna, I'm with you. While I'm annoyed that there might be a quality control issue at the plants that make Similac, I think that switching my 8 month old to a different formula now would be harder/riskier than just carrying on with the Similac.

@Claudia, akeeyu, thanks for standing up for us formula feeders. We all have our reasons for doing what we have to do to feed our babies, and its nice that others understand this.

@eep - hahahah! I bet the beetles ARE better than the nuggets. At least the beetles are "all natural" and contain only one ingredient that we can all pronounce: beetle.

[SarcastiCarrie]

Maybe we should talk about the Enfagrow brand CHOCOLATE formula. It's stage 2 formula, not infant formula, but really? Really? I am sure there are seriously ill children who have growth issues whose parents would do anything to get their kids to eat, and for that, this might be a valid market niche product, but it has not been marketed that way. Oh, wait, I just googled it. Mead Johnson has discontinued production. Neat. My outrage is over. Thank you.

[eep]

Chocolate formula? How could they possibly think that was a good idea? When my baby was in the hospital with RSV, the wonderful nurses sent up home with a trunkful of ready-to-feed liquid formula. I hate the way it smells, so don't use it often, but it is handy for traveling and keeping on hand for emergencies. I usually put it in one of my regular bottles for feeding because baby likes them better than the disposable nipples. The ready-made strongly resembles chocolate milk, and I am always waiting for someone to accuse me of bottle feeding my 6 month old chocolate milk! Hasn't happened yet, thank goodness.

[Rudyinparis]

Whew, SarcastiCarrie, nothing I like more than quick resolution!

[akeeyu]

Melissa, seriously, don't feel bad.

My kids have now eaten their weight in peanut butter, since the FDA has established a known acceptable level of rat hair and bug bits in foods like peanut butter, they're probably up to an entire ant farm's worth of creepy crawlies by now.

Your daughter is going to eat SO many weird and inappropriate and Wow, How Did She Get THAT In Her Mouth? things, not to mention the Oh Shit, What Is The Number For Poison Control*?? things when she is older that you will look back on buggy formula and laugh. I promise.

If that doesn't help, think of the wise words of my father after opening the last box of macaroni and cheese 15 minutes before dinner time: "Well...it's just protein."

Yes, he picked out the bugs, but yes, we ate that macaroni and cheese (and probably a few bugs) anyway, because macaroni and cheese costs money, consarnit.

*Poison Control: 800-222-1222 I have it written on my computer in permanent marker and saved in my phone. They're just the sweetest people.

[MrsHaley]

And contrary to my fears and suspicions, the Poison Control ladies do NOT keep a running tally of how many times you call and send the baby snatchers to your house once you're reached the magic number of accidental poisonings! All they ask for is your first name and sometimes your phone number. Mostly, they chuckle and assure you that your kids will be fine. My DD ate one of my mother's heart pills (!!! AIIEE !!! PANNNNIC !!!) and the Poison Control lady could not have been more BTDT and unalarmed about it. They do call back in 2 hours to make sure no one is dead, but nobody has ever come knocking on my door to revoke my Mommy License (Oh? You don't have one of those?), and I've lost track of how many times I've called them!

I didn't call about the Japanese beetles, though. That has happened so many damn times, it's gotta be fine or he'd be sick by now, for sure. He did eat a stinkbug last night, though. And those guys are BIG.

[MrsHaley]

... and CRUNCHY. And ... wait for it ...

STINKY.

[Brooke]

Bugs I can deal with. It's the cat poop that made me want to die after bleaching out the baby's mouth.

[Rudyinparis]

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Congratulations, Brooke, you're today's winner of the I Bet My Kid Ate Something More Disgusting Than Yours award!

Gak.

[Brooke]

Winner is perhaps a misguided designation. And he did spit it out, but still.

[Rudyinparis]

You're right... but "Today's Loser" is a bit of a downer! I'm thinking positive, here.

This vaguely reminds me of the story about the Mom that caught her kid applying her chapstick to the cat's bum. She wondered: was that the first time, or the tenth?

[SarcastiCarrie]

I read that cat-chap stick story somewhere too. Good times.

Most disgusting things my kids have consumed (besides the ant-infested milk): an entire bottle of grape-scented bubbles (really? Why make them smell like food? I did not call poison control or do anything at all.) and chalk (because the texture, gak! the dry! ack! did nothing there either...probably full of lead or something...he's fine).

Does it make it better or worse that I was standing right there both times and somwhow did not stop it?

[the milliner]

Eeeewww...you guys are grossing me out! So far our worst is crayons, dog food and cat food. May do a little more putting things out of reach this weekend.... ;)

Thankfully the cat litter is impossible to get to. That was taken care of ages ago when the dog started eating cat poop. Blech.

@Melissa, Just wanted to echo others to say 'DON'T FEEL GUILTY!'. There is no way the two things had anything to do with each other. It's not like you said, 'Hmmm, I'm going to phase out BF and feed my baby formula with beetles.' (And even if you did as @Cloud points out, not so unusual in other parts of the world). Simply an unfortunate coincidence. Please go easy on yourself.

[Cloud]

See, I knew there was an advantage to having kids who won't even eat most foods.

[cs]

@FriendWithMilk: Can I just say - I've pumped, and I absolutely hated it. What you have offered to do for your friend's baby is extremely generous. I hope he appreciates having such a good friend!

[Jessica]

Just wanted to chime in to say that I love this thread oh so much. My kids, fortunately, had very short "putting random things in mouth" phases, so I have no story to share.

I do wonder, and I hate to be a downer, about babies who haven't started solid foods yet eating beetles... It's one thing if they're over six months, but what about the little guys? Their guts might actually not be able to handle "real food." (Ew.)

[creatingbalance]

Would you like to know exactly how much dog food my "picky" toddler eats daily??? Or maybe the pools of water he'll get down on all fours to lick or slurp off any surface at all?? Seriously I worry about the bacteria he might get from a puddle or something weird like that!!

Such a bummer for any mom to have to worry, scramble to feed their child:(

@friendwithmilk you rock, what a generous friend you are.
@magie you should check out Moxies post "we should all suck together" on her blog it says it all.

[FriendWithMilk]

@Clare - I couldn't remember the brand but I did remember the packaging, looked it up and it's Enfamil, so no need for me to worry about offending him.

@cs & @creatingbalance: thank you.

When I went back to work, I pumped for my DD for 5 months before I couldn't bear it any longer. I felt so deficient, and disappointed in my body, the most I ever brought home in a day was 8oz. She was drinking much more than that and we supplemented with formula to make up the difference.

Funny thing about this time around, I am relaxed about it, my attitude is different. Pumping to supplement my friend's baby, I view it as: I'm blessed to be able to offer this gift, something she wouldn't have otherwise.

[MrsTee]

Apparently there is a small tolerance of bugs in a lot of processed foods from the FDA. I read that somewhere. But people can relax. A lot of things are worse than ingesting beetles. People around the world eat bugs all the time. If you have a pet and your baby interacts with it, well, that's already worse than beetles.

[lisa]

@ Maggie, I think you were speaking out of kindness and empathy, don't be scared off! Sometimes breast milk is actually unsafe because of drug addiction, prescription drugs, or HIV. As a foster family of a 5 day old, we received wic checks for formula and used them for the doctor recommended brand of formula until wic stopped compensating for that brand. When I learned more, I wished we found a goat's milk source, or mail-order milk, however that works. I ALWAYS worried about DD not getting her fair share of immuno globulins, but, despite my husband and I being disgustingly sick when she was a month old, she did not have a sniffle until she was weaned to cows (organic) milk. She was shiny and fat, and developed well despite a drug exposure. I sometimes thought her chubbiness neutralized (with fat-based myelin) any really detrimental neurological effects. She stretched out so perfectly, too, currently between the 50th and 70th percentile across the board. Anybody out there have experience giving their infant goat's milk?

[the milliner]

@lisa, We gave DS goat's milk before we gave him cow's milk. This was just after the 1 year mark. So, not so much an infant. But anyhow, he really liked it at first and drank goat's milk + BF for a few months. He eventually became less interested in it and at that point we tried cow's milk (which he drinks now along with BF at 2 1/4). He didn't end up having a problem with either. But we thought we'd take the route less likely to be allergenic to start since DH has an unknown allergen that has caused anaphylactic shock.

Don't know if that's the info you're looking for, but thought I'd add it just in case.

[Meredith]

My boys are 100% breastfed with only the purest, most wonderful, perfect wholesome milk...

Okay, well the first one was...for the first year. Two children and four years into breastfeeding, that milk is now perhaps a bit tinged with a mixture of wine, Diet Coke, and Claritin. Quality control has gone down.

And, speaking of things that my children consume, my younger boy once pulled out a broken drain stopper in my sister's sink, stuck his toothbrush down it, and brushed his teeth with the scum. Finding him thus was among the most horrifying moments of my life, but I'll feel a bit better if I win the "grossest thing my kid ever ate" contest....

[Wilhelmina]

Coprophagia is the medical term for the ingestion of ahem, poo.Learning about it made me very queasy in my cat lady days.

Cat waste is very nutritious. They have very short ineffective digestive tracts as carnivores and they get fed the high protein tasty food they prefer. Dogs can smell the goodness. Urgh.

Before DD was even a twinkle a friend visited with a toddler and he shampooed with my cats litter box contents. I thought that was normal but I did kind of brace myself when I became a mother. Squeamish and all that.I did not envy his mama.

Like Cloud I've also found that having a child that doesn't eat much takes care of the ingestion angle. So far of course, she's only 2 2/3.

She's also very squeamish. I feel kind of guilty about that because I wonder if I somehow infected her in infancy with that. Rather vain glorious that but can you inherit being worried about cleanliness ?

Whenever DD gets her hands dirty she holds them up like Lady Macbeth and cries " HANDS " so they may be cleansed. After eating, after playing, after painting, anytime It raises plenty of eyebrows if observed but she's not in pre-school yet.

If no help is coming in time she very carefully wipes her hands on any fabric surface. Not a good thing.

It's so the opposite of careless exploration and of course she needs the exposure to things to outgrow her allergies.

She was breast-fed until she stopped abruptly at 16 months, but she had plenty of formula when born as she was very jaundiced. Formula is a wonderful thing. I can only imagine how scared and worried those mums affected are.

I don't think the beetles amount to anything dangerous as the quantities are so tiny. And there is lots in breast-milk too, not only good stuff. For me the whole feeding saga was very fraught as a new mother. Beetles are not what you need then.

As DD is allergic to animal milks we looked for a formula after the stop at 16 months and she wouldn't have it. Any non animal milk product. I just gave her an all singing calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement. But it was very worrying. Even though she was thriving.

Until at 2 she liked a little chocolate soy milk.Had there been chocolate formula who knows? She might have drunk it.

Fortunately there are no awards in motherhood. I wouldn't win one. I would award one to the posters sharing their stories above though.

[Julie]

It's interesting how a formula recall can polarize people into "well, that's what you get for not breastfeeding" versus "don't feel guilty for not breastfeeding" camps.

I don't see the point of taking sides. Instead, I think we should discuss the need for more donor milk and milk banks in this country. Many mothers don't even know this is an option, or they live several states away from the nearest milk bank, or their insurance won't cover it and they can't afford to pay several dollars an ounce. Think of how many families wouldn't be freaking out or feeling guilty right now if they had access to banked milk.

@FriendWithMilk: It's wonderful that you are willing to pump milk for your friend's baby. However, informal milk sharing also carries some risks since the milk is not screened as it would be if it were donated to a milk bank. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with your milk, of course, but certainly anyone considering feeding their baby someone else's milk should look into having it screened at a local hospital. Some do this for free.

[the milliner]

@Wilhelmina, FWIW my DS does the same thing for dirty hands (at home and at daycare I believe). When we first started taking him to the park he didn't even like getting his hands dirty with sand! He'd always ask me to wipe them off. Thankfully he's learned to rub them together to get the sand off himself.

[Wilhelmina]

@ the milliner thanks a lot for sharing your experience of DS. In real life here I see all the other tots grab into paint and mud and sand with great glee. DD doesn't and is quite perfectionist.

Since she could walk she puts items misplaced back right on shop shelves etc. At home her toys are like a whirlwind all over so that helps me not worry.

But it's good to know the hand thing is not hers alone.

On other matters FWIW ever since the last molars have fully emerged, and that took months of hellish sleep DD is sleeping much better. she even let the dentist look at her teeth this week.

No she's not an early riser or going to bed type still, we've not swapped her for a doll, but she honestly sleeps much better since 28 months. Honestly.

And on the speech side she didn't talk much at all and made no sentences until 29 months but now she talks away just fine and uses sentences. I often get the impression that DD does not do a new skill until she's good at it.

Your mileage will vary, but I hope you'll get more rest soon too.

[paola]

Ok I'm giving @Meredith the Gold and @Wilhelmina's friend a close Silver in the grossness stakes.

I once ate goat shit thinking it was a sultana and I was in my teens. So far the grossest thing my kids do it leave their toothbrushes in the bidet. I don't even bother sterilising them anymore. A quick rinse with a bit of soap and Bob's yer uncle.

[Erin]

@ Julie - So right! I'm a milk donor, and there is a critical shortage of donor milk and banks.

I had this jolt of terror a couple of years ago when I found out that my neighborhood's water had been under a boil order for FOUR DAYS before I found out about it - in fact, I only discovered the order after it was over. It turns out my county has some of the worst quality water in the country. God only knows what we were drinking. But my first thought was OMG what if my baby had been drinking formula made with that water?!? I know they market bottled water for formula, but who can afford that? Luckily my baby wasn't getting formula, but I'm sure there were formula-fed babies in the area. I was *outraged* for them and for their parents.

(And count me in with those going through two-year-molar hell. Will those wretched teeth ever come through? Seems like months and months of drooling and bleeding.)