At least five children in Hunan province became "big head dolls" with skull deformities after eating the milk powder.
At least five children in china`s hunan province became "big head dolls" with skull deformities and even slapped themselves on the head after eating a protein drink allegedly suitable for babies. China`s authorities said on Thursday that businesses involved in "fraud" would be severely punished.
The babies were reported to have consumed a so-called "special medical milk powder ", which was supposed to be a special nutritional food designed for infants allergic to or suffering from a special condition of normal formula, but was actually found to be a solid protein drink.
This is China for more than a decade again exposed the domestic "milk powder" scandal, the public attention. Nutritionists said that the difference from the melamine case is that this time is not "milk powder" itself inferior or toxic, but through false propaganda to allow infants to long-term ordinary drinks as a staple food, resulting in malnutrition.
"Big Head"
Parents in Yongxing County, central China`s Hunan province, have found their children`s weight loss, skull deformities and "big-headed dolls ", some of whom even beat their heads.
The children were subsequently taken to hospital for examination. Doctors found that these children commonly have vitamin D deficiency, stunting and other symptoms, and the diagnosis of rickets.
The children were diagnosed with milk allergies during an earlier medical examination and doctors advised parents to buy amino acid milk powder for their children, the official Hunan TV reported. Parents then chose a "special medical milk powder" called "Beimin" recommended by a local mother and child shop.
A shop assistant told parents that "bisamine" is the best-selling milk powder in the store, and there are already a lot of allergic baby eating.
Some infants due to physical differences, will be allergic to ordinary milk powder. (not graphic)
One parent questioned the "solid drink" on the packaging, but the shop assistant said it was just another name for baby formula.
After the incident, hunan government said on thursday (may 14) the relevant businesses suspected of "false propaganda and consumer fraud ", the market supervision and management department has set up an investigation team, will be severely punished businesses.
At present, in addition to the five parents who have complained to local market regulators, it seems that more parents who have bought the milk powder have found problems.
A mother wrote on social media that she had fed her milk-sensitive baby six months of the same formula until she found the abnormality, which she did not change at the doctor`s advice. Today, children still lag behind their peers.
"After about six months of drinking, I found no significant increase in baby height and weight. And, almost a year and a half baby I can`t walk ," she wrote. "What will be the consequences? "
It is understood that the mother-and-child shop involved in the matter, from the manufacturer of "bisamin" Hunan Weileke Health Industry Company, has purchased a total of 47" bisamin "solid drinks, but it is not clear how many other stores sold the brand`s products.
Yongxing County announced that all infants and young children who buy the brand milk powder will be arranged free medical examination, treatment of symptomatic infants and young children, and start a rectification action to crack down on the quality of substandard infant food.
Drinks posing as "specialty milk powder"
Chinese nutrition scholar a Chinese nutrition scholar and executive director of the International Oriental Institute of Nutrition and Medicinal Diet, told The British Broadcasting Corporation that solid drinks are common food for adults and that all their nutritional content is not prepared for special standards for infants and young children.
"Solid drinks are mainly protein-based, there are no other nutrients, long-term consumption of malnutrition is certain ," Zheng said.
A Chinese family in Beijing buys milk powder for their children in shops.
China`s news website "interface" reported that after the incident, the head of the company denied that there was exaggerated publicity, said "packaging clearly marked as solid drinks ." However, although the packaging does not contain the words "special medical milk powder ", the" deep hydrolysate protein lactose-free formula "is written.
The full name of special medical foods is infant formula for special medical use, which is divided into six categories according to the standards of Chinese health department, one of which is the formula of deep hydrolysis of milk protein or amino acid for infants with milk allergy.
In addition, the company, which was founded in 2015, was found to have "production of formula foods for special medical purposes" within the scope of business, but did not actually have the qualification to register.
Impersonating special foods with ordinary solid drinks is not the case in some parts of China.
China`s state-run People`s Daily reported in July 2019 that in Yichang, Hubei Province, parents of children with allergies to ordinary milk powder bought a special formula called "Yalodi ", which was packaged as" nutritional support for people at high risk of milk protein indigestion and allergy ", under the guidance of doctors.
But after eating formula powder, the child`s allergic symptoms did not improve much. Parents were then surprised to find that the brand did not have special food production qualifications. The brand`s manufacturers have recalled products several times before, admitting that the packaging was false, but the batch did not contain it.
In another separate incident in Jiangxi, a 9-month-old child ate the so-called "special medical milk powder" as a staple food for seven months, followed by malnutrition and small size.
In these cases, many parents said they bought it on the recommendation of a mother-and-child shop assistant or even a doctor.
A number of chinese media have learned in unannounced visits to the solid-drink production companies that doctors in some hospitals receive a commission of about 60 yuan ($8.4) for each can they successfully recommend.
Among them, hospital digestive department, children`s health department and other doctors with prescription rights, sales staff focus on "public relations" object.
A woman in Henan said her granddaughter death .( a picture of the 2008 melamine scandal)
More than a decade after the baby milk scandal reappeared
The the incident came to light, it quickly caught the spotlight on social media in China, and many netizens said it was hard to believe that would "come back" more than a decade later.
At the beginning of this century, China has repeatedly exposed infant accidents caused by problems with milk powder.
In 2003, the poor quality milk powder incident in Fuyang City, Anhui Province led to a large number of children`s protein intake is insufficient, malnutrition. Because the most obvious feature of the symptoms is the baby`s head deformity, it is also known as the "big head doll" event.
As a result of the accident ,12 infants death ,189 children in Fuyang needed treatment. Some children develop physical disabilities when they grow up.
In 2008, many infants who ate the then-famous Sanlu milk powder were found to have kidney stones, and the milk powder and many other brands were found to have melamine, a chemical ingredient that can improve protein detection, but long-term consumption can lead to urinary bladder and kidney stones.
China`s health ministry reported that by the end of November of that year, China had reported at least 300,000 children and at least six children death. suffering from urinary abnormalities caused by consumption of powdered milk
