(RepublicanPress.org) – According to the CDC, no level of lead exposure is safe for children. The organization lists the possible effects of lead on kids as brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth and development, learning behavior issues, and hearing and speech problems. The center also provided a pamphlet for parents to lessen their children’s exposure to the dangerous heavy metal. Recently, the CDC issued an emergency alert to pull a product containing lead from the shelves.
On November 13, the CDC Health Alert Network issued a recall for contaminated applesauce pouches in multiple states. The products included WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks cinnamon applesauce pouches, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. The recall included pulls from states including Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
More than 20 toddlers sickened by lead linked to tainted applesauce pouches, CDC says https://t.co/sZQtL35V1s
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 14, 2023
Potential cases reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised to look out for symptoms including headache, nausea, anemia, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The FDA notice included recommendations that consumers should not eat, sell, or serve the product and should throw them away immediately. It stated that most kids would not show obvious symptoms; if parents suspect exposure, they should contact their child’s pediatrician for a blood test and evaluation.
The administration stated it was working with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services to investigate four reports of children with elevated blood levels. The initial investigation by the NCDHHS showed high levels of lead in many of the tested products — enough to cause acute toxicity.
The recall doesn’t just apply to the United States but extends to products distributed to both Cuba and the United Arab Emirates. So far, 22 kids ages one to three are believed to have been affected. CBS News reported that at least one of those children had a blood lead iron level significantly higher than the amount that would typically raise alarms.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanPress.org
