Three more babies have developed blood poisoning after a batch of contaminated drips was sent to more than 20 hospitals across England.
The total number of newborns that have been infected now stands at 16. One baby being treated in Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital has died.
The drips were a type of liquid feed that is put directly into the bloodstream. It is given to babies in neonatal units who are unable to be mouth fed.
The drips had become contaminated with Bacillus cereus, a type of bacteria that causes nausea and vomiting, and less commonly, fever and diarrhoea.
More than 160 units of the contaminated feed were sent out to hospitals around the country. They have since passed their expiry date, but have been withdrawn as a precautionary measure.
Unfortunately 16 cases of infection have been reported at nine different hospitals, including:
- Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge University Hospitals
- Luton and Dunstable University Hospital
- The Whittington Hospital
- Peterborough City Hospital
- Southend University Hospital
- Basildon University Hospital
Public Health England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are investigating the matter.
The manufacturer of the feed, ITH Pharma, has said it is co-operating with the investigation. Managing director Karen Hamling said: “From investigations carried out so far, it would appear the potential contamination is linked to a single sourced raw material ingredient.
“As a mother, as a pharmacist, as someone who has worked for 30 years in healthcare, inside and outside the NHS, I am deeply saddened that one baby has died and others have fallen ill from septicaemia.”
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