How can we ensure that the items we purchase are safe for our children? As parents today, we have to be on guard continually in order to protect our children. And, what a job that seems to be lately, with so many recalls. So once again, I pose the question, is there anything safe for our babies anymore?
The latest information that needs to be in the hands of all parents is that Johnson & Johnson has just issued another recall, this time the recall is for all Infants’ Tylenol, due to a problem with the new bottle design and the bottle’s cap, ironically designed to ensure accurate dosing. However, the new bottle design interferes with parents and caregivers accessing the proper dosage for the infant.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., a unit of Johnson & Johnson, is recalling, at the wholesale and retail levels, seven lots of its Infants’ Tylenol Oral Suspension. Some 574,000 bottles of the 1-ounce grape-flavored medication, distributed nationwide in the United States, are involved in the recall. Infants’ Tylenol is an over-the-counter (OTC) product indicated as a pain reliever and fever reducer.
McNeil received approximately 17 complaints from consumers who reported difficulty using the Infants’ Tylenol SimpleMeasure dosing system, which includes a dosing syringe that a parent or caregiver inserts into a protective cover, or “flow restrictor,” at the top of the bottle to measure the proper dose. In some cases, the flow restrictor was pushed into the bottle when inserting the syringe. This new system was a new design and just introduced 3 months ago.
According to a report by Reuters on February 17, Johnson & Johnson says, “The recall is from stores and wholesalers; consumers can still use the product provided that the protective cover at the top of the bottle remains in place.”
The recall involves all Infants’ Tylenol Oral Suspension, 1-ounce, grape, and includes UPC 300450122308 and lot numbers BIL0U00, BIL0V00, BIL3500, BJL2D00, BJL2E00, BJL2T00, and BJL2U00.
For the moment, no date has been set for the product’s return to the marketplace. J&J is looking at possibly redesigning the over-the-counter medicine’s bottle. McNeil spokeswoman Bonnie Jacobs said it was too early to discuss when the Infants’ Tylenol will return to the market. “We are looking at various alternatives for the redesign of the dosing system and will set a timeline … once we’ve reviewed all the options,” she said, wrote the Christian Science Monitor.
This recall only involves the infant Tylenol, intended for children 2 years and under. It does not involve the Children’s Tylenol products that are for children two years of age and older and continue to remain available.
To date no adverse events connected to this recall have been reported and the risk of a serious adverse medical event is considered remote.
Consumers can request a refund by visiting www.tylenol.com or contacting McNeil, toll-free, at 1.888.222.6036 , Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), and Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
Since September 2009, McNeil’s Consumer Healthcare unit has issued about 25 product recalls.