Parents may be worried by this weekend's recall of dozens of versions of Children's Tylenol and several other infants' and children's medications made by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare division.

Parents voiced fears to pediatricians and pharmacists, and asked questions about the affected products - two dozen formulations of Tylenol, known generically as acetaminophen, along with liquid formulations of Motrin (ibuprofen), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine).

So far, the advice for parents, at least, is clear: McNeil says they should stop using any of the affected products - essentially, any liquid formulation of those medications made by McNeil, which is based in Fort Washington.

Doctors and pharmacists recommend that parents replace the medications with generics of the same drugs or other brand-name versions, none of which are affected by the recall. Consumers can obtain refunds directly from McNeil or from at least some pharmacies.

What went wrong? Little is known. McNeil, in announcing the voluntary recall late Friday "in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration," says some of the products "may not meet required quality standards."

McNeil says the children's products may have "a higher concentration of active ingredients than is specified." They may also have contaminants that spokesman Marc Boston describes as "solidified product ingredients or manufacturing residue, such as tiny metal specks." He declined to say what metal or metals had been found.

Nor is it clear if McNeil is responding with an abundance of caution or faces greater concerns.

"They've had a lot of problems," says Don Mays, senior director of product safety for Consumer Reports. "It seems like they need better quality control and process control in the manufacture of these products."

This is the second major recall of children's Tylenol products in the last year. In September, more than 20 versions were recalled because of possible bacterial contamination.

Was there a danger to my child? It's impossible to say for sure, but McNeil is suggesting not.

"We have received consumer inquiries," Boston says. "But I can confirm that the recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events" reported to the company.

Nor has the FDA so far suggested otherwise.

"While the potential for serious health problems is remote, Americans deserve medications that are safe, effective, and of the highest quality," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a statement Saturday. "We are investigating the products and facilities associated with this recall and will provide updates as we learn more."

By contrast, when McNeil voluntarily recalled some related products in January because of a contaminant it said caused "an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor," the company acknowledged "a small number of cases" of reactions such as nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

What if I'm worried? David Pollack, a Children's Hospital pediatrician and senior physician at the hospital's Care Network in Delaware County, says parents should report any concerns to their pediatrician, who will then notify the FDA and McNeil.

Based on the information available, Pollack said, "I could certainly believe that there's been no adverse effects on kids."

Can you substitute an adult version? Pollack and McNeil both warn against doing this, even with older children who can swallow pills, because of the danger of incorrect dosages.

"Every day we're faced with a misdosage when a mother is trying to convert an adult dosage to her kids," Pollack says. "If it's not really designed for children, we would tell them not to use it."

So what are the alternatives? Doctors and pharmacists say generic versions are widely available and considerably less expensive.

For more information on the recall or how to obtain a refund, go to www.mcneilproductrecall.com. You can also call 1-888-222-6036, but the company says it has been overwhelmed with calls and may not be able to answer.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Thousands of mothers say a new diaper is causing chemical burns on their babies.

The new Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers diapers are made with something Pampers calls "Dry Max Technology," and Pampers says diapers made with it are the thinnest and driest on the market.

They've been out for about four weeks, but now many mothers are saying they cause severe diaper rashes, burns, blisters and even bleeding.

Parents are using the Pampers Facebook page to talk about what they say the diapers are doing to their babies.

There are so many complaints, a spokesperson for Pampers posted this note on the Facebook site to refute the claims:

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PregnancyWeekly.com

It's been reported that a third infant has died from the use of the Infantino Sling Rider. Unfortunately, the Infantino Sling Rider and other "bag" slings are not safe. A blog called Babysosmart, has some very good information on the topic:

For the last 4 years+ I've been teaching what I call a "Benefits of Babywearing" class through several local venues. My goal has always been to open parents eyes to all the amazing physical and emotional health benefits that babywearing gives to a baby. It still blows my mind. Not the idea of babywearing, but the science behind it all. An infant's development is measurably physically improved by babywearing...

But not all baby carriers are equal, and not all of them are safe. I'll admit it: I bring a couple of the "bad carriers" to each class that I teach, to demonstrate the potential problems that can arise from using a "bad carrier." One of these "bad carriers" (and I don't usually say bad, except in regards to this one that I'm about to discuss now) is the Infantino Sling Rider. And it's BAD. I've always referred to it "lovingly" as "the Sling of Death."

My overwhelming concern with this particular style of carrier, what we refer to as a "bag sling" or "bag-style sling", is the awkward and unsafe position into which the baby slips when he is placed inside the carrier. There is no feature to keep the baby's body in good alignment, so the baby usually ends up in what we call the "chin-to-chest" position. I'm a nurse, a pediatric nurse, and just hearing those words said in relation to an infant under three months old is akin to hearing someone say they gave their newborn a razor blade to play with. Wouldn't do it, dumb, a no-brainer, and worse, dangerous. The chin-to-chest position is just that-- the infant's chin drops down to rest on their chest, and their little, teeny, floppy airway is occluded-- folded in half, if you will. The infant airway, or trachea or breathing tube, is pretty unremarkable at this stage, at least in regards to it's ability to maintain itself. It's soft, floppy, and extremely narrow; that's why infants are so grossly affected when they're hit with the common cold, for example. Let me just say it bluntly: an infant can cut off their own ability to breathe if they are placed in the chin-to-chest position.

Others have been voicing their concerns for several years as well. In fact, one third-party group reviewed the Infantino Sling Rider (along with several other styles/brands of carriers) back in the fall of 2006 or 2007, documented their findings, and presented it to the manufacturer in the following February, assuming that eyebrows would be raised, red flags would be waved, and that the offending carrier would be pulled from the market, at least until modifications could be made to make it safe for use. I'm willing to bet that they were more shocked to hear the manufacturer say (and not an actual quote, mind you)-- "Have their been any documented deaths in one of our carriers? Until then, we aren't willing to do anything."

I have pushed people to LEARN how to use their carriers correctly over the years, as even a good carrier can be used incorrectly and potentially be the "cause" of a problem (I say "cause" because it's not actually the carrier that causes the problem, it's the wearer not using it correctly). Three biggest instances of this are: a "bigger baby, let's say a 6- or 8-month old, that's just really pitching a fit, and the parent is trying to force the baby into the carrier, and the baby is thrashing, throwing itself around, a recipe for disaster. A baby carrier is just that, a carrier, not a restraining device. Next example, a parent not tightening the carrier up, wearing it very loose and low, baby hanging out, again, looking for a fall, or the potential for the baby to fall into the chin-to-chest position. I've seen this several times, usually a ring sling, and the parent is attempting to carry the baby in the cradle position, but is not adjusting the sling to support the baby, allowing the baby to just kind of curl up inside the body of the sling. And the third instance, wearing a carrier that is too big for you-- usually it is a pouch, or pouch sling, and the baby is sliding into . . . the chin-to-chest position, and we've already been through those dangers. It is critical to make sure not only that the carrier you are using fits you, but that you are also using it correctly.

My heart goes out to the families of these beautiful babies whose lives were needlessly lost. The data was there, several years ago, and the manufacturer KNEW about the dangers their product posed to babies, they just didn't care. They were busy padding their pockets.

Note: Other similar dangerous "bag style slings": the Boppy "sling", the PreMaxx "sling," the JJ Cole "sling", the bag sling by Serena and Lily, to name a few.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

A rash of recent baby product recalls may have prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to impose new regulations on manufacturers.

The CPSC recently held a unanimous vote for new rules that will require hefty regulations for baby product manufactures. The regulations will require all manufacturers to keep track of product owners. Manufactures will be required to provide consumers with a postage-paid registration form. Once the consumer fills out and returns the form, the manufacturer must keep their information on file.

The CPSC hopes this will help consumers find out about recalls faster. Recalls that may be life threatening to their infant or toddler.

Three major recalls were in issued in 2009 after serious injuries occurred in infants and toddlers. The CPSC issued a recall for nearly 500,000 infant car seats after a defective handle was found to put children at serious risk for injury during car accidents. Another recall involving cribs was issued after the defective product caused injuries and bruising to infants and toddlers. The third recall was issued after several children suffered finger amputations. In that recall over two millions strollers were affected.

Hopefully the new regulations imposed by the CPSC will help parents keep their children safe from dangerous and defective products.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Click here to enter!

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Parents can spend up to $10,000 buying stuff for baby's first year of life alone! (read more about baby costs.)

But there are ways families can save thousands of dollars:

Cloth Diaper Your Baby

Cloth diapering can save families literally thousands of dollars and is good for the planet too. Cloth diapers have changed so much in the last decade - they are actually easy to use and oh so cute too. (talk to other moms about cloth diapering.)

Buy Items With Multiple Uses

Parents know how frustrating it can be to buy items that only last a few months before baby grows out of them. Look for items that grow along with baby. Think about a high chair that converts to a booster, or a toy that takes baby from tummy time to standing. (more about baby gear essentials.)

Plan Ahead

Parents may not realize how much they're spending on items they don't need at places like the grocery store. Plan your meals and shop for groceries only that you need.

Breastfeed Your Baby

It's no secret that breastfeeding can save a family more than $1,500, after all, formula is expensive!

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy or who were exposed to lead have more than double the risk of having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as other children, new research shows.

And with exposure to both cigarettes and lead, the chances of having ADHD soared. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy and whose blood showed signs of lead exposure had eight times the risk of having ADHD.

"When you have both exposures, there is a synergistic effect," said study author Dr. Tanya Froehlich, a developmental and behavioral pediatric specialist and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The researchers concluded that about 38 percent of ADHD cases among children aged 8 to 15 in the United States may be caused by prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke, while 25 percent of ADHD cases are due to lead exposure, according to the study in the Nov. 23 online issue of Pediatrics.

Froehlich and her colleagues used data on 2,588 children aged 8 to 15 from around the nation who took part in the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Tobacco exposure was assessed by asking mothers if they smoked during pregnancy, while lead concentrations were measured by a blood test.

About 8.7 percent of children met the criteria for ADHD, which is marked by inattentiveness, difficulty focusing, impulsivity and hyperactivity, according to the study. The ADHD group included 16.8 percent of children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, compared to 6.6 percent of children whose mothers did not smoke.

Lead exposure was divided into three groups: low, medium and high. About 5.2 percent of children who had the lowest lead blood levels had ADHD. About 9.1 percent of children in the middle range had ADHD, while 13.6 percent of children in the highest third had ADHD, the researchers found.

About 28.6 percent of children who were exposed to both prenatal smoking and who had higher blood lead concentrations had ADHD, Froehlich said.

Researchers did not find a strong link between exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke during childhood and ADHD.

Alarmingly, even children in the upper third had lead exposure levels lower than what the federal government considers "elevated." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers levels of 10 micrograms per deciliter "actionable," Froehlich said. In the study, children in the upper third had blood lead levels that were 1.3 micrograms per deciliter or greater; children in the middle group had levels between 0.9 and 1.3 micrograms per deciliter.

About 250,000 U.S. children aged 1 to 5 have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, according to the CDC. Though blood lead levels have generally dropped in recent years, children, particularly those in poor, inner-city neighborhoods, may still be exposed to lead from peeling paint in old buildings. Leaded paint was banned for most residential uses in the United States in 1978.

Children may also ingest lead from old water pipes, soil and toys. In the last few years there have been multiple recalls, some by major toy manufacturers such as Mattel and Fisher-Price, of products manufactured in China that contained unsafe levels of lead.

"Lead is out there, and we need to take precautions, such as making sure we keep kids away from peeling paint and make sure they practice good hand washing before they eat if they are playing in the soil," Froehlich said.

In addition, good nutrition, including making sure children have adequate levels of iron and calcium, can also protect from lead exposure. Children with iron and calcium deficiencies absorb more lead than children with better diets, Froehlich explained.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

• No one wants a baby with deformational plagiocephaly.   But what is it and how is it caused?
• According to a new study in the journal Pediatrics; when it comes to infants' risk of developing a flat spot on the head, environment appears more important than genes.
• The study, looked at more than 20,000 babies treated for deformational plagiocephaly - misshapen areas in the skull that most commonly manifest as a flattening at the back of the head.
• Factors both before and after birth contribute to plagiocephaly. Crowding in the womb is a risk factor, for instance, with the problem being more common in twins and other multiples.
• After birth, repetitive pressure on one area of an infant's head -- from repeatedly sleeping in the same position, or spending too much time in swings or "bouncy seats" -- can also lead to plagiocephaly.
• However, researchers have also questioned whether genetic predisposition might play an important role. Some studies have found that plagiocephaly tends to run in families, but that could reflect either genetic influences or parenting practices.
• In the new study, researchers found that "twinning" was associated with a higher risk of plagiocephaly, but there was no evidence of a difference between identical and fraternal twins.
• Because identical twins share all of their genes and fraternal twins share only about half, on average, the finding suggests that genetic predisposition does not explain the tendency of plagiocephaly to run in some families.
• On the other hand, environmental factors like position in the womb and an infant's sleep position were important. For instance, 15 percent of babies with plagiocephaly had been born in the breech position -- with the feet or buttocks, rather than the head, closest to the birth canal; that compares with roughly 3.5 percent of births in the general population.
• Sleep position, meanwhile, was the most important factor in the "lateralization" of the plagiocephaly. That is, babies who usually slept with their heads turned to the right usually developed a flat spot on the right side of the head, while those who favored the left side usually developed plagiocephaly on that side of the head.
• "What our work may imply is that if there is a genetic predisposition for (a) variation like deformational plagiocephaly, there is not any one genetic factor, but instead many, and that there may be different factors in different populations of ethnic diversity," senior researcher Dr. Brian C. Verrelli told Reuters Health in an email.
• On the other hand, it seems that environmental factors are "very important" in causing plagiocephaly, according to Verrelli, an assistant professor at Arizona State University in Tempe.
• And that, the researcher noted, implies that plagiocephaly can not only be avoided, but also that there is a "high probability" that it will be easily treated.
• Since pediatricians began recommending that infants be put to sleep on their backs to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), studies have noted a rise in plagiocephaly. To counter that, experts generally recommend that infants get plenty of supervised "tummy time" when they are awake, and that parents avoid leaving them in carriers, swings or other seats for a prolonged period.
• Plagiocephaly is often treated in a similar manner -- tummy time during waking hours and periodically turning the baby's head when he or she is sleeping, for instance. In some cases, infants are outfitted with a helmet that they wear for a few months to help reshape the skull as it grows.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

The Cry Translator listens to a whining child and analyzes the pitch, volume, tone and inflection of his nerve-jangling noise. Ten seconds later, it provides you with one of five “translations”: hungry, sleepy, stressed, annoyed or bored.

The idea of this $30 iPhone application, apart from preying on the anxieties of new parents, is to help teach you the meanings of the distinctive sounds and to help out babysitters who might otherwise try to feed your three-month old (hunger) instead of just switching over to the Family Guy from American Idol (bored). The application even gives advice on what to do, depending on the translation.

According to the seller, Biloop Technologic, clinical tests have proven the app to be accurate 96% of the time, and it will “continue to translate crying regardless of the age of the child”. This last is an excellent feature, and will help me determine the cause the next time the Lady starts to blubber. On previous experience, I can guess it will most likely be “annoyed” or “bored”. On sale here until November 11th for $10.

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PregnancyWeekly.com