Federal authorities are warning parents and caregivers against giving thickening gel called SimplyThick to feed infants with swallowing difficulties. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, giving the product to infants may prove to be risky and life-threatening.
The latest warning comes after 22 infants who consumed Simply Thick developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and seven of them died. NEC is a condition in which tissue of the intestine becomes inflamed, sometimes leading to death.
SimplyThick is available in all local pharmacies across the country in individual serving packets and also in 64-ounce dispenser bottles.
The product fed to the infants, particularly premature babies by adding to infant's formula or breast milk is also used in older children or adults having swallowing problems.
It was last year the agency first noticed the adverse side effects associated with the product. Finding the risks associated with the Simply Thick, the agency issued a notice against feeding the product to babies born before completing 37 weeks of gestation.
Apart from that, it also conducted a series of investigations and found 21 premature babies and another born at full term critically ill and developing NEC after taking Simply Thick. Of the total children, 14 required surgery.
Details of the study were published in The Journal of Pediatrics, in May.
"Further study is needed to determine if there is an actual link between consumption of SimplyThick and the development of NEC. But, FDA wants everyone involved in the care of a baby to be aware of the potential risk before deciding whether to feed SimplyThick to infants of any age," a statement appeared in the official website of FDA said.
Following are some symptoms children develop after consuming the product, as provided by FDA:
* bloated stomach
* greenish-tinged vomiting
* bloody stools
