Ditch Cold Meds for Tots: FDA

FDA loophole allows potentially-lethal drugs to stay in market

(NEWSER) - Taxpayer dollars still pay for unapproved prescription drugs that have sold for decades and are linked to dozens of deaths, the AP reports. In the past 5 years, at least $200 million has been paid for drugs like cold and pain medications that were never approved by the FDA, yet are covered by Medicaid. The problem dates back to 1962, when a bill "grandfathered" drugs already on the market, allowing them to exist without FDA approval. More»

But critics slash horror 'co-sleeping' campaign, call it headline-grabbing distraction

(NEWSER) - In the latest unkind cut in parenting battles, startling Wisconsin health ads are warning moms and dads that sleeping with their babies is the same as leaving a butcher knife next to them. The Milwaukee horror campaign against family "co-sleeping" reveals dozing babes cuddled next to knives almost as big as they are. "Is it shocking?" asked city Health Commissioner Bevan Baker. "Yes, but what is even more shocking is that 30 developed and underdeveloped countries have better" infant death rates than Milwaukee. A 7-week-old baby died the day the campaign was launched, the ninth infant to die in the city while sleeping with a parent in a year, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. More»

New scanners will be preset, older ones will be retrofitted

(NEWSER) - CT scans will come with new safeguards ordered by the FDA yesterday, following accidental radiation overdoses last year at hospitals in California and Alabama. The agency is also looking at software fixes for existing equipment to reduce the possibility of unsafe dosage, reports the the Los Angeles Times , and encouraging professionals to share dosing information to set standards. More»

Unknowingly mixing acetaminophen products may cause ODs

(NEWSER) - Experts say we needn’t be scared off by a panel’s push for limits on acetaminophen—but it’s important to take it in moderation, which can be harder than it sounds, writes Melinda Beck in the Wall Street Journal. “It’s sneaking up on people,” says one professor—partly because acetaminophen is in a wide variety of drugs, leading people to take vast amounts without realizing it. More»

(NEWSER) - Common baby shampoos and lotions contain trace amounts of two carcinogens, a public safety group says. Big-name products such as Johnson & Johnson shampoo and Baby Magic lotion tested positive for the cancer-causing chemicals, apparently produced as byproducts during the manufacturing process, reports the Washington Post. Johnson & Johnson insisted that its products are safe and meet FDA regulations. More»