Food Additive Linked to Infant Deaths

SimplyThick, a food additive that was until recently used in treating newborns in intensive care units who demonstrated swallowing difficulties, has been linked to infants’ development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening illness that causes severe damage to the intestines. The product, which was popular for the ease with which it can be mixed with breast milk for infants, was widely considered safe for use by the FDA, in spite of a lack of testing, because xantham gum, from which it is made, is generally recognized as safe under FDA guidelines.

However, in 2011, a number of infant deaths caused by NEC which were linked to the use of SimplyThick demonstrated such an unusual pattern that the FDA reconsidered its assessment of the product’s safety, first recommending that it not be given to premature infants, and eventually warning that no infants should be given the thickener. Unfortunately, because of its widespread use up to this point, many children have been exposed to its harmful effects and, as a result, may have developed a serious illness.

 


Scottish Girl to Fly to St. Louis for Cerebral Palsy Treatment

A 5-year-old girl who was badly mishandled by erring midwives during her birth is seeking an operation in the U.S.

Unable to stand by herself, and with only a six-word vocabulary, young Jessica Penny of Rutherglen, Scotland flew to St. Louis, Missouri on Friday with her parents to undergo an operation to address the effects of cerebral palsy. Jessica was starved of oxygen and suffered significant drops in her heart rate during her birth. Jessica’s parents, Lynne and Colin Penny, were able to raise £85, 000 for the highly-specialized operation, called a dorsal rhizotomy, which is a spinal surgery that will hopefully be able to reverse some of cerebral palsy’s effects.

Jessica’s mother described the errors of the responsible midwives as “assault.” Her daughter was left needing constant care while she herself had to seek counseling and be put on anti-depressants.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that medical negligence is to blame, contact the cerebral palsy lawyers of the Driscoll Firm, today by calling (800) 900-7704.


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