As a 10-day-old baby died after receiving a dose of vitamin D, pediatricians are reiterating the importance of supplementation for infants.
A 10-day-old infant died from cardio-respiratory arrest at his home on December 21 after receiving a dose of Uvesterol D, a vitamin D drug. Figaro unveiled this information this Tuesday, January 3, Dr. François-Marie Caron, pediatrician at the University Hospital of Amiens, received many phone calls from worried parents. “It’s normal, it’s an exceptional dramatic situation,” he admits.
It must be said that all parents of children under 5 can feel concerned. Uvesterol D, a vitamin D marketed by French laboratories Crinex, is prescribed to thousands of children each year to treat or prevent deficiencies. “Vitamin D is used in all newborns because all require supplementation, and Uvesterol D has been one of the most prescribed drugs since the 1990s”, explains the specialist who is a member of the French Association for Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA ).
Rules of use
However, this drug, which comes in an oily oral solution administered by pipette, has been the subject of increased surveillance since 2006 by the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM). The authority had in fact been alerted to cases of malaise, cyanosis and / or apnea in infants, in particular in premature newborns and infants aged less than one month, related to the method of administration of the drug. .
Following these reports, the laboratory revised its formula and marketed a new dosing pipette. Since 1er December 2014, “these modifications made it possible in particular to reduce the volume to be administered by increasing the concentration of the solution”, described the ANSM at the time. She also reminded parents of the rules to follow to avoid the risk of false routes, such as, for example, administering the solution to the awake child installed in a semi-seated position always before feeding or bottle-feeding, and not going to bed. right after.
Favor other forms
Despite these changes, some maternity and pediatric departments have preferred to opt for safer alternatives, especially those that come in the form of drops. This is particularly the case of Amiens.
“In our maternity ward, we give premature babies drops because we quickly realized that they had trouble swallowing uvesterol. And since today, we have decided to give drops to all children whether they are premature or not, ”explains Dr Caron.
Because, the specialist recalls: it is quite possible to substitute Uvesterol D by another vitamin. The important thing is that the children continue to receive their supplementation to avoid any deficiency. “If the child is taking Uvesterol perfectly well, the parents can continue to give it. But if they find that the child is having trouble swallowing it, or if they are ever worried, they can stop the treatment. At the next monthly visit, the pediatrician or general practitioner will prescribe another form of vitamin D, ”he reassures.
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