Tainted Teething Syrup Kills 84 Babies-12 Arrested

This is an update on the tragic story about babies dying in Nigeria from the tainted teething syrup, “My Pinkin” that was originally posted in December – “Diethylene Glycol Killer On Prowl.”

My Pikin," which means "my child" in local pidgin is now responsible for 84 children aged two months to seven years died from kidney damage linked to My Pinkin -- around three out of four of the 111 children known to have ingested the product.

The actual count is presumed to be higher as many potential victims are in rural areas and have not been included in the count. "Due to the low literacy level in Nigeria and the fact that many people self-medicate and don't go to hospitals, there is the risk some children might have died in villages unreported," said National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). spokesman Abubakar Jimoh.

Twelve suspects have been arrested -- five from Barewa Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer and seven marketers of the fake chemical used for the production of the drug. Three individuals including Kola Okunola, the CEO of Barewa Pharmaceuticals were arraigned on a six-count charge relating to manufacturing adulterated drugs on March 5, 2009. The three pleaded not guilty and have been remanded at the Ikoyi prison in Lagos pending trial of the case.

So far, more than 5,000 bottles have come off the market. But it is unclear how many bottles were produced from a tainted batch or whether any were exported outside Nigeria by small-scale traders.

This is an outrageous tale of betrayal – a tale of greed with a reckless lack of regard for the safety – the safety of small innocent children who ultimately were poisoned at the unsuspecting hands of those who love them most.

Diethylene glycol, killer on the prowl

Nigerian death toll rises in tainted infant teething drug

The latest victims to greed are the smallest among us…….

Over 45 babies have died in Nigeria from the tainted teething syrup, "My Pikin Baby Teething Mixture". The medicine is contaminated with diethylene glycol, causing kidney failure in the children who died.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down the manufacturer of "My Pikin", Lagos-based Barewa Pharmaceuticals, as well as a company called Tranxell Ltd, which is believed to have supplied chemicals to Barewa and possibly to other local drugs manufacturers.

Diethylene-glycol-contaminated products have had a long history in dealing death. This chemical, which is used in antifreeze, is sometimes added illegally as a cheaper sweetener or thickening agent with deadly results.
So deadly in fact, that the catastrophic deaths following its first use in medicines led to the passage of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

In 1937 more than 100 U.S. citizens, many of them children, died when diethylene-glycol was added to an antibiotic to make the liquid form, Elixir Sulfanilamide.

And their deaths were painful as noted in a grieving mother’s letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt:

"The first time I ever had occasion to call in a doctor for [Joan] and she was given Elixir of Sulfanilamide. All that is left to us is the caring for her little grave. Even the memory of her is mixed with sorrow for we can see her little body tossing to and fro and hear that little voice screaming with pain and it seems as though it would drive me insane. ... It is my plea that you will take steps to prevent such sales of drugs that will take little lives and leave such suffering behind and such a bleak outlook on the future as I have tonight."

According to the World-wide Organization of the Health during the 1980's and 1990's more than 600 people were killed by this type of contamination.

Furthermore it continues still today and is becoming more prevalent. In 2007, Diethylene glycol was found in contaminated toothpaste manufactured in China. Over a hundred people died in Panama. That same year The New York Times reported that about 900,000 tubes turned up in the United States, including correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers, and some hospitals, as well as discount stores.

In today’s global economy ingredients can be manufactured anywhere and consumers rely on companies to look out for their safety. Authentication of raw materials is essential to ensure the safety of consumers and mitigate the risks of contamination to the finished product.