FDA Warning: Baby's Bliss Gripe Water May Be Contaminated

According to a press release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recalling bottles of Baby's Bliss Gripe Water. This product is marketed as a remedy for "colic, hiccups, and teething."

The FDA said that bottles of Baby's Bliss Gripe Water might be contaminated with a parasite that causes severe diarrhea.

Consumers should check their Baby's Bliss Gripe Water and see the code that carries each bottle. Suspected contaminated products carry the code "26952V" with an expiration date of October 2008 (shown as "10/08") on the label, according to the press release. Consumers should dispose of the unopened bottles of the product immediately, the FDA said.

FDA has confirmed through laboratory analysis the presence of cryptosporidium in Baby's Bliss Gripe Water after investigating the illness of a 6-week-old infant in Minnesota who consumed the product.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes intestinal infections. Cryptosporidium is a pathogen of the family Apicomplexa and causes an illness called cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidiosis is usually an acute short-term infection but can develop into a severe disease in children and immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients. According to the FDA, the most common symptom of infection is watery diarrhea.

Other experimented symptoms can include dehydration, weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms generally begin two to ten days after becoming infected with the parasite and generally last one to two weeks.

The FDA has said that about 17,600 bottles of the product have been distributed nationwide in retail stores and sold over the Internet since November 2006. The product is distributed by MOM Enterprises, Inc., of San Rafael, Calif.

According to the FDA, the recalled product is sold in four-ounce plastic bottles packaged in a cardboard carton labeled "Baby's Bliss. Pediatrician Recommended Gripe Water. Apple Flavor.An herbal supplement used to ease the gas and stomach discomfort often associated with colic, hiccups, and teething."