Mom Finds Metal in Toddler Gummy Vitamins
Parents intend to give their children foods and supplements that they know will make their children grow stronger and healthier. However, there are absolute horror stories that we encounter now and then that will make us rethink about giving supplements to our children. Samantha Anderson has a story to tell…
Good Intentions Gone Bad
What seemingly was a good intention to provide vitamins to her child became a harrowing nightmare. The Kansas mom found out that there were metal shavings in her daughter’s intestine from consuming gummy vitamins from a well-known brand. She had been feeding her three-year-old daughter, Milani, with Zarbee’s Natural Vitamins gummies she bought at Target until she noticed that some metal pieces were sticking out at the bottom of the bottle.
Writing her story on Facebook, Samantha noted that there were metal flakes found at the bottom of the bottle of the chewable vitamins. Some of the flakes had also embedded in the surface of the gummies. To her horror, she does not know how many metal flakes were in the bottle and how many were unknowingly ingested by her daughter.
Sharp Metal Flakes Led To Hospitalization
To confirm her fears that they were indeed metal shavings, she and her husband used a magnet to test the multivitamins – and indeed they were. She also took her daughter to the emergency room for an X-ray. The X-ray result noted that there were metals found in her intestines. The sharp metal flakes were found in Milani ’s stomach which led to the girl’s emergency hospital admission so that doctors could carefully remove the metal shavings.
As a mom, Samantha Anderson could not help but feel terrible. For her, she felt like she failed as a mom because she was the one who fed the gummies to her. However, she couldn’t be blamed for what happened to her daughter. The responsibility falls into the hands of Zarbee. Anderson already reported the incident to the Food and Drug Administration following the recommendation of her pediatrician. Currently, the FDA is investigating the complaint. The company has yet to make an official public statement to address the incident, but they have already released a comment on social media apologizing and wishing for her daughter to get well.
Lesson That Can Be Learned About Gummy Vitamins
While this might be an isolated case, it is essential to take note that it can happen to anyone. There is a lesson that can be learned from this story. As parents, it is crucial always to check the quality of the supplements that you are giving to your children. Scrutinizing each bottle may be time-consuming, but it is worth it. But aside from the parents, it is also crucial for the supplement manufacturers to continually check the quality of their finished products. Since this incident has already been reported, it is critical for the company to recall the bottles of gummies from Target. This may be an isolated case, but one can never be too sure.
Inspired by www.usatoday.com