Children and Infant Tylenol Recall Issued Due to Possible Contamination
Published: September 24th, 2009 • Comments: 19
Certain lots of children and infant Tylenol have been recalled, as they could be contaminated with bacteria.
On September 18, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that makes Tylenol, sent a letter to healthcare professionals warning that 21 lots of children’s Tylenol products could be contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) bacteria.
The Tylenol recall affects certain batches Children’s Tylenol Suspension, Infant Tylenol Suspension, Children’s Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose, Children’s Tylenol Plus Cold/ Allergy and Infant Tylenol Drops and other infant and children’s products of various flavors and sizes.
B. Cepacia is a type of bacteria and known human pathogen that can cause pneumonia in individuals with compromised immune systems or who suffer from lung diseases such as pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis or chronic granulomatous disease. McNeil’s letter to healthcare professionals said that the bacteria were detected in raw ingredients used to manufacture its children’s Tylenol products.
There have been no injuries or illnesses reported in connection to the contaminated medicine. McNeil has said the recall is precautionary, and they have not found actual bacteria in finished Tylenol products. The company said that while it is unknown whether the bacteria can cause an infection through ingestion, it has been known to cause infections through the use of nasal sprays and mouthwashes.
The affected batches were manufactured between from April through June 2008, and a full list of recalled lots can be found in a copy of the letter sent to doctors, which is posted on the Tylenol website. The lot numbers are located on the bottom of the box as well as on the label of the bottles.
Parents and caregivers who believe they have a recalled product can contact the McNeil Customer Care Center at 1-800-962-5357 for a coupon for a new bottle. If anyone suspects they have given a child any of the recalled products, they should contact their health care provider regarding any concerns.
Comment by vicky on 24 September 2009:
i JUST threw aways the empty bottle of infants tylenol i had…so im not certain if it was one contaminated or not…maybe its just a considence that my daughter has been sick alot since she has take tylenol i dont know..but im not very happy w/it at all. she is turning 4mons old on Saturday and her tylenol came in the set you get at walmart that is in a blue plastic case that also has ibuprofen and the vapor bath..i dont know if that will help you track it or not. We bought it around the month of April this year from Wal Mart in Sikeston Missouri 63801
Comment by Jessica on 24 September 2009:
Horrible my daughter just had a Bottle of cold and allergy this week ….. What are we suppose to give our children if we can not trust makers of these products…
Comment by william on 24 September 2009:
what raw material was it? where did this raw material originate,china
Comment by GEORGE on 24 September 2009:
The affected batches should be associated with a Lot number. What are the Lot numbers for the affected batches?
Comment by Sherry on 26 September 2009:
I just recently finished off a bottle of tylenol that was on the recall list…been giving it to my daughter off and on …more so this last week…she has constant cough and sore throat this week. What in the hell is this world coming to when we cant even protect our kids from the people we have trusted for years.
Comment by Rebecca on 26 September 2009:
Lot numbers are posted here: http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subpchildinfantnews.inc
Comment by teresa on 27 September 2009:
I really don’t understandy wy they wait for this long. Last year in May, my 2.5 year old son son caught a cold/flu, and had a high fever. We needed to give both tylenol and motrin for him to hold the fever down. We then noticed he was better for a while, and then got sick again. Even antibiotics didn’t really work and then he’ll get really sick. Then he end up having pnenmonia and was hospitalized. Since B. cepacia is quite resisitant to antibiotics, I’m starting to wonder if my son got worse because the tylenol he took was part of the affected lot! The box was thrown away and there is no way to tell now!!!
Tylenol knew about this right after it was manufactured, if they would have recalled then, wouldn’t less people be impacted?
Comment by Debra on 28 September 2009:
Why does it take so long for Tylenol to find this problem? The batch dates were April 2008 to June 2008. That is a year and a half of children getting posslbly contaminated drugs. Is the purpose to wait so long that no one can be able to check to see if they have some of that batch? Somebody needs to get on these problems BEFORE the potential to sicken children occurs, not after.
Comment by Justina on 28 September 2009:
My nephew is 2 months old and has been taking tylenol and every since he started he has been very sick what we wonder is if it is from the tylenol that he has been taking
Comment by Tara on 28 September 2009:
This is complete BS!!!!!!! My children all three of them have been battling cold after cold since about November of last year. They better pray to God that this is not the cause. I always buy the Tylenol brand rather than the cheaper store versions due to loyalty and trust. My 2 year old has been in and out of the doctor for months with swollen lymph nodes and can’t seem to ever get fully well. My 9 month old has been teething about 2 months old and has had tylenol off and on since. My children are actually sick right now AGAIN!! Two of my children were just diagnosed with impetigo and severe ezcema. I seriously doubt this is a coincidence.
Comment by Lashunda on 30 September 2009:
My daughter has been running a low grade fever for 2wks and i was giving her tylenol, now she has pneumonia i wonder Why!!!
Comment by Kyle on 2 October 2009:
Our daughter was born march 7, 2008. And haI know our daughter has been taken infant tylenol since thne and I got a letter from sam’s club confirming that we did get a batch of this tylenol. So we have gotten a lot of the tylenol from walmart which is sam’s, so she’s probably had it from walmart as well…..what should we do?
Comment by Mary on 3 October 2009:
I am very concerned about my baby……he has been sick on and off for the last month…since he is 8 months the only thing the doctors recommand is tylenol infant drops….which by the way did not seem to help….I have taken him to the urgent care twice and to the hosipal once all in the last two weeks because I was thinking something was wrong with my child and he had a slight fever on and off and this really nasty cough..espically at night sometimes it seem like he is almost chocking…this is before i heard of all this tylenol recall issue…so now a few days ago i heard about the recall and I have been given him tylenol infant drops (Grape)….Good thing i still have the two bottles….What should i do about this…How can i be sure that my baby is not sick from this batercia?
Comment by jon on 4 October 2009:
We have our bottle and the lot code is one that has been recalled. We have been giving him the product for a while now and had wondered why he has had this cough for quite sometime now. We called our pediatrician today and other professionals to investigate the matter. For those who ask why sooo long…it goes like this in many cases. These bio-tek companies are tied to manufacturing schedules and production quantities, which is also tied to profit and management bonuses. Many times they will send product out and wait until they hear of a problem, if they don’t they sweep it under the rug. If they do they then extend a recall. DO NOT talk to the manufacturer anything you say will be used against you. God Bless my son as I’m one very freightened father of a 14 month old son.
Comment by Amanda on 5 October 2009:
So what am i pose to give my baby now he’s runing a fever and all i have been giving him tylenol could that make him worst or what both my kids take that. Now what am i supose to give my boys if and when they get sick what exaully in it that can cause a promble? Could my kids be sick from this is this why it’s taking soo long for them to get better
Comment by Alicia on 7 October 2009:
I had given my 14 month old daughter tylenol from one of the recalled lots, 1 1/2-2 months ago for teething & shots. Since then she has been constantly sick. Dr said it was a virus, then sinus infection, then another virus, then another sinus infection, then ear infection, and now tonsillitis. She has seen two pediatricians, two ENTs, and then yesterday she saw an allergist. She has tried many different antibotics and is not getting any better. I really hope she gets better soon.
Comment by Ashley on 11 October 2009:
I don’t know if this is this means anything or not but my daughter is 2 months old and she had her first shots and I have her Tylenol and ever since she has been sick. She is breastfed so her stool is normally yellow but ever since the Tylenol it has been green and she now has an infection that went to her eye and I believe she has an infection in her body (making her poop green) or something. The doctors have no idea what is wrong with her. Does anyone think it could be the Tylenol or am I just being a worry wort?
Comment by Jamie on 21 January 2010:
I just called my doctor about this b/c we have been trying to figure out why she has been getting sick like she has. she has pnemiona several times and now that I read this about it causes pnemiona I am very mad.
Comment by Dennis on 17 March 2010:
If your child had this bug and got phnemonia he or she would not be
here anymore. My Daughter Died from Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) bacteria. 18 days in ICU on a ventilator and later tracheotomy.
If yu do your research you will find that many marketed products have
been recalled. Hospitals, Ventilator tubes, feeding tubes, and
Catheters can also be the cause of this bug.
Dennis