US parents want answers after China milk scare

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Fascinating twist to the stories on toxins infecting kids in China.

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US parents want answers after China milk scare

By DEANNA MARTIN – 4 days ago

Beth Flanders was on her way to China to adopt her 17-month-old

daughter in September when she received a warning from her adoption

agency: An industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones had been

found in Chinese baby formula, and parents should not feed it to

their new children.

Flanders' daughter had no symptoms. But in November, an ultrasound

revealed two kidney stones, which are unusual in children. Now the

Los Angeles-area nurse wonders if melamine is to blame.

China's worst product-safety scandal in years has hit home for

thousands of adoptive parents, who are seeking answers about

potential effects of melamine in tainted formula and other foods.

Many are requesting medical tests for children even if they were

adopted long before the contamination became known.

The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology recommends ultrasounds

and other tests for infants exposed to tainted formula in late 2007

and 2008 if they have blood in their urine, kidney pain, unexplained

crying or other symptoms.

With no studies of melamine's effect on humans, some doctors say they

aren't sure if other children should be tested as well.

" Nobody's really going to know what the best thing to do is at this

point, which is the scary part, " said Flanders, whose daughter is

from China's Jiangxi province, where tainted formula was found, and

was not eating solid foods when she was adopted. " We're all in the

dark together. "

Flanders adopted her daughter just days after the China Health

Ministry ordered a nationwide probe of milk powder linked to kidney

stones in infants. China says six babies likely died and nearly

300,000 suffered urinary problems from drinking melamine-tainted milk

powder.

The nitrogen-rich chemical used in the production of plastics was

dumped into watered-down milk so that higher protein levels would

register during food-quality tests. It has since surfaced in eggs,

milk, candy and other food products, triggering product recalls

worldwide.

Melamine also was found in exported pet food blamed for killing dogs

and cats in North America in 2007.

The Chinese government has reported that at least one dairy, Sanlu

Group Co., knew as early as 2007 that its products were tainted with

melamine and that company and local officials tried to cover it up.

The general manager of Sanlu pleaded guilty to charges in the

scandal, and trials have begun for seventeen others blamed for the

contamination. At least four could face the death penalty, according

to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The attention on the melamine crisis has focused primarily on

children still in China, where thousands of parents have sought tests

and treatment. In the U.S., parents of children adopted from China

waited weeks for medical guidance specific to adoptees, and many

pursued testing after consulting their pediatricians or adoption

agencies.

Wallace, executive director of Families Thru International

Adoption in ville, Ind., says there's no way to know for sure if

a child was exposed to melamine in baby formula or other foods while

living in China.

Even orphanages using a " safe " brand of formula may have supplemented

their supplies with donated formula that could have been tainted, the

agency says. Wallace said his staff has urged parents to consult

their doctors if they are concerned, regardless of how long their

child has been home.

The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology says adoptees are

unlikely to be affected unless they were drinking tainted formula in

late 2007 or 2008. It does not recommend testing for children who

aren't exhibiting symptoms of kidney stones or urinary problems.

Dr. Somers, a pediatric nephrologist at Children's Hospital

Boston and member of the nephrology group, said even children exposed

to melamine may be fine once it is removed from their diet.

" They've been away from the contaminant for so long that they were

likely to probably have resolved all of this on their own, " Somers

said.

Dr. Debbi Borchers, a Cincinnati pediatrician, said not every child

adopted from China needs to be tested, but that doesn't mean the

melamine issue should be ignored.

" It doesn't hurt to be cautious, " said Borchers, the mother of three

daughters adopted from China between 1994 and 2000. " At the same

time, you don't want overkill. "

Flanders doesn't plan to have her 6-year-old daughter, adopted from

China at 10 months, tested at this point.

But her younger daughter's kidney stones are large, and she is

awaiting more medical tests to determine if surgery to remove them is

necessary. In the meantime, Flanders is seeking more information

about the issue.

She joined an online group for melamine concerns started by Kathy

Demetrius, an adoptive parent from Warren, Mass. The group registered

1,000 members in just over a month and consists of parents and

doctors who share test results and other information.

" We want to be there for each other in case things start to arise

later on in life, " said Demetrius, who adopted her 10-year-old

daughter from China a year ago.

An unscientific survey compiled by one group member reported that 84

percent of 132 children who underwent ultrasounds had normal

findings. Eight children had kidney stones, including some adopted as

far back as 2004, and another 13 had enlarged kidneys or other

abnormalities.

It's difficult to know, however, whether melamine was responsible.

Kidney stones are relatively uncommon in children, but the number of

cases in the United States is growing. Heredity and other dietary

issues can be factors in their formation.

Flanders said not knowing whether melamine could cause problems is

difficult for many parents, who already lack medical histories on

their children because they were abandoned and their birth families

aren't known.

" To have something that a human being did to our children incites

people, " she said. " We want to protect them and do the best thing for

them. "

Associated Press writer Jeni O'Malley in Indianapolis contributed to

this story.