Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Tainted Formula...



Well, the girls will be going in next Thursday for renal ultrasounds...to check to see if they have asymptomatic kidney stones. The Chinese adoption community is up in arms (ok, maybe this is too strong...very concerned, some even anxious) about the development of the tainted formula scandal. They watered down the formula and apparently in order to make the formula appear to have higher protein content the melamine is added into the formula...making it not only less nutritious but dangerous. It has caused several deaths, over 53,000 and counting children are sick and 13,000 are still hospitalized. Melamine is the chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer...make you think of infant formula? Me neither.
At this point we are being cautious. Thank goodness our pediatrician is ordering these ultrasounds. The kidney stones are proving to be asymptomatic in a lot of children and do not get picked up even on the blood and urine tests. So, even though we have an HMO...we are actually receiving fantastic care...that is surprising to me...I know it is a blessing. So, while we are not expecting to find anything, it will be nice to know. The scandal is still unfolding and no one really knows at this point exactly how far back this goes. Hope's orphanage is one of the harder hit ones. She was on formula for about 11 months back in 04-05. Love was on formula for far longer...she had been given formula up until we received her at 20 months this past March. Our niece Bella will be tested as well.

I won't pretend I am an expert on melamine or even well enough educated to make sense of it all. We are finding out together as a community. We are just praying for all those babies out there that don't have the basic care and concern for their safety - that they would receive the testing and care they are each so worthy of. Just breaks my heart to think about it...fertilizer and plastics...really??

No comments: