After deciding that Elecare Jr. wasn't the best of all possible solutions, we decided to try Neocate Infant. We hoped that whatever terrible thing happened at Nutricia was isolated to Neocate Jr. (At this point, Yes, I believe something has happened. Maybe Nutricia changed something knowingly. Maybe Nutricia had a cross-contamination issue. Maybe Nutricia changed a supplier. Maybe a supplier changed something and never told Nutricia. Maybe a supplier had a cross-contamination issue. There are a thousand maybes, and I don't have answers, but I am 1000% sure that something is going on over there.)
Saturday morning, I excitedly woke up and cracked open the first of the three cases of Neocate Infant that Christine over at Nutricia sent us. I have this huge grid that tells me how to mix it at 30 cal for a big strapping boy like mine, so not to worry about that pesky "Infant" word - we can make this work.
Things seemed mostly okay on Saturday, except that Aidan's cheeks seemed even redder than they were on Elecare, and his mood was even worse. He slept through on Saturday night, but he whimpered a lot in his sleep, and I never take this as a terribly encouraging sign.
Sunday wasn't so good. He threw up on Sunday morning about an hour after his breakfast feed. We tried to chalk it up to over-excitement, reflux, or a fluke, but his emotional downward spiral seemed to confirm that it was likely related to what I was pumping into his body. Again, he slept through the night, but he woke up very suddenly Monday morning just before 7am crying and vomiting.
By Monday, I decided that I'm not going to keep pushing him down this road. Neocate just isn't working out. I moved him back to Elecare Jr. Monday morning while we began to try to think of what to do next. He threw up his breakfast feed, but my guess is that he's still working the Neocate out of his system.
Here's where I start making wild guesses. Bear with me.
The bottom of a can of "safe" Neocate looks one way, and the bottom of a can of "unsafe" Neocate looks different. We refer to this as the "Old Label/New Label" problem, but really, there is a subset of "Old Label" Neocate that still isn't safe for these kids. "Old Label" Neocate is only safe if it was manufactured on or before April 25, 2012 (and expires on or before October 22, 2013). There is at least one batch of "Old Label" Neocate out there that expires on 11/18 and it is NOT safe for Aidan. The visual difference is on the stamp on the bottom of the can.
To me, this says that there was a process underway to change the packaging - can stamp included - that began with the batch that expires 10/28. That batch got the new can stamp, but not the new label. All later batches got the new can stamp AND the new label. And all cans that were a part of this new packaging change - whether label, stamp, or both - adversely affect my son and several others.
Now if you look at the Neocate Infant, which did NOT undergo a packaging change, you will see that the can stamp is in the "New" style as well.
Aidan spent at least 3 months on Neocate Infant when he was younger - and NEVER did he throw up like this. Not until Nutricia underwent this packaging change exercise.
Something is going on. Something is just not right.
Saturday morning, I excitedly woke up and cracked open the first of the three cases of Neocate Infant that Christine over at Nutricia sent us. I have this huge grid that tells me how to mix it at 30 cal for a big strapping boy like mine, so not to worry about that pesky "Infant" word - we can make this work.
Things seemed mostly okay on Saturday, except that Aidan's cheeks seemed even redder than they were on Elecare, and his mood was even worse. He slept through on Saturday night, but he whimpered a lot in his sleep, and I never take this as a terribly encouraging sign.
Sunday wasn't so good. He threw up on Sunday morning about an hour after his breakfast feed. We tried to chalk it up to over-excitement, reflux, or a fluke, but his emotional downward spiral seemed to confirm that it was likely related to what I was pumping into his body. Again, he slept through the night, but he woke up very suddenly Monday morning just before 7am crying and vomiting.
By Monday, I decided that I'm not going to keep pushing him down this road. Neocate just isn't working out. I moved him back to Elecare Jr. Monday morning while we began to try to think of what to do next. He threw up his breakfast feed, but my guess is that he's still working the Neocate out of his system.
Here's where I start making wild guesses. Bear with me.
The bottom of a can of "safe" Neocate looks one way, and the bottom of a can of "unsafe" Neocate looks different. We refer to this as the "Old Label/New Label" problem, but really, there is a subset of "Old Label" Neocate that still isn't safe for these kids. "Old Label" Neocate is only safe if it was manufactured on or before April 25, 2012 (and expires on or before October 22, 2013). There is at least one batch of "Old Label" Neocate out there that expires on 11/18 and it is NOT safe for Aidan. The visual difference is on the stamp on the bottom of the can.
 | |
| The Old Can |
 | |
| The New Can |
 | |
| Both Cans |
To me, this says that there was a process underway to change the packaging - can stamp included - that began with the batch that expires 10/28. That batch got the new can stamp, but not the new label. All later batches got the new can stamp AND the new label. And all cans that were a part of this new packaging change - whether label, stamp, or both - adversely affect my son and several others.
Now if you look at the Neocate Infant, which did NOT undergo a packaging change, you will see that the can stamp is in the "New" style as well.
 | |
| Infant |
Aidan spent at least 3 months on Neocate Infant when he was younger - and NEVER did he throw up like this. Not until Nutricia underwent this packaging change exercise.
Something is going on. Something is just not right.
I'm sorry you are dealing with this. Have you contacted the company (Nutricia) to formally complain about the "new label" Neocate? They claim to only have a handful of people with issues, but it seems like much more than that to me. I do hope going back to the Elecare Jr. helps Aiden. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely have - we are working with Nutricia as well as CHOP to try to get to the bottom of this and find Aidan a workable alternative. The "small handful" of affected children does seem to be ever-growing, unfortunately :(
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