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About 13,000 babies hospitalized in milk scandal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-22 17:28

A doctor gives medical examination to a child with kidney diseases at the Gansu Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 18, 2008. [Xinhua]

BEIJING -- China's Health Ministry on Sunday revealed that more than 12,000 infants were in hospital after taking tainted milk powder as of 20:00 on Sunday.

In a regular briefing of the nation-wide baby formula accident on Sunday, the ministry said the number of the total inpatients throughout the country was 12,892.

There were 104 cases in which babies showed serious symptoms, said the ministry, and 1,579 babies had been cured and left hospital.

A baby formula of Sanlu Group, a domestic dairy maker based in Hebei Province, was found containing melamine which had killed four infants.

According to the briefing, hospitals around China had received 39,965 baby outpatients who had taken the toxic formula and been cured.

After the Sanlu formula's exposure, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine conducted a nationwide examination of baby milk powder to find 22 companies whose formulas were tainted.

The ministry said in the briefing that so far they have not found a single case involving liquid milk products although most of the baby inpatients were kicked by Sanlu-made formula.

It also confirmed that no death case caused by toxic formula had been found in September.