FDA Recalls ‘Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream’

Wanted to pass along this info to all my breastfeeding mothers out there!

Image: Drugstore.com

(Article below courtesy of RealSavvyMoms.com)

“..on May 23, by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream,” made by MOM Enterprises, Inc. contains two chemicals — phenoxyethanol and chlorphenesin – that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting, and diarrhea in infants.

The product was sold as a salve to soothe and heal irritated, dry, and cracked nipples; its label specifically says that there is no need to clean off the cream before nursing.

The two chemicals in question have potentially serious side effects. Chlorphenesin is a muscle relaxant and is used primarily in the treatment of sprains and injuries. It works by blocking nerve impulses or pain sensations that are sent to the brain, and can depress the central nervous system and cause slow or shallow breathing in infants. It is not commercially available in the United States and it is not approved for use in children. Pregnant women are advised not to use it, unless directed by their doctors, as its affects on unborn babies is unknown. Nursing mothers are also advised to not use it as it may pass into breast milk. Phenoxyethanol is a more widely used ingredient, found in skin creams, perfumes, and insect repellants. It is used to preserve fragrance. In Europe it is classified both as harmful if swallowed and as an irritant, especially if it comes in contact with skin, eyes, or lungs.

The FDA has enough compelling evidence about each of the chemicals to warn women to avoid using products containing them, but another concern is how they interact with one another. “FDA is particularly concerned that nursing infants are being unwittingly exposed by their mothers to this product with dangerous side effects,” says Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Additionally, these two ingredients may interact with one another to further compound and increase the risk of respiratory depression in nursing infants,” Woodcock says.

MOM Enterprises has recalled all of the Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream…the FDA has had no reports of injuries to infants as a result of their mothers using this cream.“

Read the full article here.  The FDA press release can be found here.