The number of infants sickened by China’s melamine milk scandal grows exponentially by the day. The latest number is 54,000 infants hospitalized.
There is one hypothesis suggesting that melamine was added to Chinese powered milk formulas to fool government quality tests when the makers fraudulently added water to the formula.
Sick.
There haven’t been many studies of human melamine ingestion, so much of the data comes from animal studies. Melamine causes crystal formation, which leads to kidney stones, damage or failure. There are reports of an association with bladder cancer. Irritability, low urine output, blood in the urine and an elevated blood pressure are all possible symptoms.
Treatment is typically conservative, with intravenous fluids to flush the crystals out of the kidney. Surgical removal and urine alkalinisation can be considered for large or refractory stones.
The effects of kidney failure, like an elevated potassium level, need to be treated with appropriate measures. Dialysis is reserved for severe cases.
This event is far-reaching and goes beyond the hospitalized infants. China has a largely unregulated fee-for-service medical system. Many of these patients have to pay out of pocket for a scandal brought upon by lack of government oversight.
Talk about rubbing salt in the wounds.
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{ 8 comments }
“Sick” is the right word.
So, lack of oversight led to the financial crisis in America when companies packaged faulty financial products, whcih were toxic in their own right; Chinese companies are essentially guilty of the same type of crime.
Maybe there will be a positive of all of this–the best and brightest of Americans will stop choosing investment banking, finance and Law as careers, and do something REAL and productive with their lives. Maybe we can even start manufacturing things again in America so that we don’t have to rely on China for all of our goods.
I think melamine is used to make it seem like foods contain more protein than they really do, since most tests for protein content just measure nitrogen.
There are no more investment banks. It was on the front page of the Times today.
Great post.
Am enjoying your longer comments these days – you have lots to say, and we love reading it!
I’m a U.S. citizen and businessman from California, but living and doing business full time for the past 4+ years in China and Hong Kong.
Our 2 year old son was a victim of the melamine milk here in China. Although he did not die he has ingested and passed huge quantities of the melamine during a 10 month period finally resulting in a kidney stone not just powdery urine.
The U.S. Embassy was great to find a “high standard” clinic near the Consulate for diagnosis, but what now?
The symptoms were amazingly varied and really could have been many things. Now we know and it was confirmed today at the clinic.
No one knows “what now”. What will happen to him? What are treatments must he undergo? …no one has tried to kill children before using melamine.
Where do we go for information, answers and direction? We are worried beyond words.
Barry Naef
Shenzhen, China
Current U.S. law does not require any U.S. plant using tainted Chinese ingredients to disclose where the contents came from, if the product is made in the U.S. or canada.
The chances of cadbury or Hersheys or any one else not using the same inexpensive ingredients in the U.S. as they use else where are pretty slim.
Regarding our 2 year old son Jie Naef, who ingested large quantities of Melamine milk and it’s carcinogenic carrier chemicals; still no one, not even CDC can give us any guidance since no one has ever attempted to kill and entire generation of infants and children using Melamine in milk products.
As you see in the news, the world is learning that virtually every food product from China contains this and other toxic chemicals.
Sadly our son is already exhibiting additional medical complications from the poison, and maybe even more damaging than the kidney concern. No, it didn’t stop with the kidney. …this process of the toxins going from one organ to another may be endless. Now he is in much greater pain than ever.
We will be returning to the United States in the next few days. Sadly, there may never be help for him, only observation and statistics for someone else.
You can see his story and progress at http://www.JiesWorld.com, a website we started 18 months ago to warn others of the dangers and our dependence on Chinese food products in the U.S. Ironically our own baby has become a casualty, and we were cautious, feeding him only the safest products.
Barry Naef
Jie’s Dad
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