Newborn baby dies after being given vitamin drops

A newborn baby has died after being given vitamin drops in France.
The ten-day-old child suffocated after receiving a dose of Uvesterol D, which is used for Vitamin D deficiency.

The baby died of cardio-respiratory arrest two hours after initially getting into trouble on December 21.

Officials have now suspended sales of the product.

‘The conclusions of investigations so far show evidence pointing to a probable link between the death, and the dose of Uvesterol D that was administered,’ the medical safety agency ANSM said in a statement.

‘I want to reassure parents who have given vitamin D, in whatever form, to their children: they are safe’.

Health Minister Marisol Touraine confirmed only the delivery method of Uvesterol D (administered with a pipette) was the problem and other children were not at risk if they took other vitamin D supplements.

In 2006 ANSM addressed concerns about the product by imposing extra safety measures, it tightened these even further in 2013 by recommending drip-by-drip feeding of the supplement in a lower dose.

The product is developed by the Crinex laboratory and no-one had previously died as a result of taking it.

It is not available in the UK.
Officials at Crinex could not be immediately reached for comment.