Diep Bao Baby Skin Cream Recall Issued Over Lead Poisoning Risks

Lead poisoning from Diep Bao baby skin cream may pose a serious risk for developing children, after federal health officials found tubes with more than 1,000 times the acceptable level of lead.

A recall has been issued for a popular Vietnamese eczema skin cream sold on Facebook for use on babies, after health officials detected elevated blood levels in a number of children and testing confirmed that the baby cream contains extremely high levels of lead.

The FDA announced a Diep Bao Cream recall on February 1, after at least two children exposed to the baby skin cream were found to have elevated blood lead levels, a sign of potential lead poisoning, which can lead to serious health problems for children.

The recalled Diep Bao Cream is a popular Vietnamese product sold by the Herndon, Virginia-based Shop Me Ca through Facebook and other on-line websites. The cream is used to treat atopic dermatitis, which leads to dry, itchy, and inflamed skin.

The eczema cream is is marketed specifically for use on children, who are particularly susceptible to the side effects of lead, which can cause serious developmental delays, such as ADHD and autism.

The recall was initiated after the Oregon Health Authority tested the baby cream and detected high levels of lead in two samples. Shop Me Ca is halting the sale of the product while the FDA and OHA investigate the source of the problem.

According to the recall notice, two tubes of the eczema cream were tested and found to contain levels of lead as high as 7,370 parts per million (ppm). The limit for lead in cosmetic products is 10 ppm, meaning the two tubes tested had more than 1,000 times the accepted safe level of lead.

Two infants exposed to the cream were found to have elevated blood lead levels. The first case was discovered in December 2022 and the second in January 2023.

The recall affects Diep Bao Cream sold in 10-gram white plastic tubes inside of an outer cardboard white box. The bottom side panel of the box has la label marked NSX 05/01/2021 HSD 05/07/2023.

The Diep Bao Cream was sold nationwide through Shop Me Ca’s Facebook page and some Vietnamese Moms’ Facebook groups: Hội Mẹ Việt Nuôi con Tại Mỹ, Mẹ Việt Tại Mỹ, Chuyên Đồ Bầu và Chăm Sóc Sau Sinh, and Nguyễn Ngọc. These Facebook groups are not associated with Shop Me Ca.

The manufacturer recommends customers who purchased the cream immediately stop using it and dispose of it. Questions should be directed to the company at shopemeca91@gmail.com.

Consumers who have experienced side effects or have concerns about using the product should contact their doctor and report any side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

The recall comes just as the FDA has proposed new action levels for lead in baby food. The new limits come as a number of families are pursuing baby food lawsuits against Gerber, Beech-Nut and other well-known manufacturers, alleging that their children developed ADHD or autism from lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury metals that have been found in baby food products, claiming that the companies have failed to properly source and screen ingredients in baby food for harmful levels of heavy metals.

Concerns over toxic heavy metals were first publicly raised in February 2021, following the release of Congressional report that found many baby food products manufactured and sold by Gerber, Beech-Nut Nutrition, Plum, Hain, Campbell, Walmart, Sprout and others contained one or more heavy metals including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, which may increase the risk of autism or ADHD in children.

Lead Exposure Risks

Exposure to lead during childhood can cause a wide range of serious health side effects. Research indicates childhood lead exposure reduces the brain’s structural integrity later in life, which can lead to reduced IQ scores and cognitive problems.

Lead exposure, even at low levels, contributes to increased risk of early death, leading to more than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. More so, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns there is no safe level of lead exposure among children. Any exposure can lead to life-long health problems ranging from obesity to reduced cognition.

Research indicates children with lead poisoning have lower test scores, faced increased risk of kidney damage, and increased risk of ADHD. Another study indicated lead exposure during childhood reduces the brain’s structural integrity later in life.

Health experts warn lead exposure, even at low levels, is likely a frequent and unacknowledged contributor to deaths in the United States.