Just this week, our daughter’s teething has begun to reach the point where I carry the Infant Tylenol drops everywhere in case she gets a fever or the pain becomes too much for her to bear. We try to avoid using pain medicine when other methods of relief are available. Teething is the one thing that really does require the magic of that cherry-flavored elixir. So why the irony of a massive recall just as we need it most? Why does Murphy and his Law have to take effect this week of all 
weeks?
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson and Johnson and the manufacturer of many of their children’s pain relief products, is being very reserved as to the motive for the recall. Friday morning, the company was cited for health violations after their Fort Washington, PA, facility was inspected by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are rumors of small particles (such as metal specks) that may have gotten into the mixture. There is also the possibility that some inactive ingredients “may not meet testing requirements” said the New York Times. The article continues by saying “McNeil did not undertake the recall because of adverse health reactions to the products… but it advised consumers to stop using them. Although the potential for serious medical problems is remote, McNeil said, parents and caregivers should not give the products to children.”
The full list of products on the recall can be found on the McNeil Product site. There is a space to type in the “NDC Number,” which I found right above the name of the product on the label. (It reads “NDC and has a series of numbers which include dashes.) Both of the bottles I have of Infant Tylenol drops are on the recall list.
Every mom I have spoken with has found at least one product in their home to be on the list. The products include children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl. After finding the products on the list, there is a form to Request a Refund or High-Value Coupon. McNeil can also be reached at 1-888-222-6036, although the number has been notably overwhelmed with phone calls.
In January, McNeil had faced another recall on several of their products, including Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, St. Joseph Aspirin and Tylenol. The products were emitting an odor caused by what McNeil called “presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA).”
Alas, this time around, I will have to keep the teething rings cooled, and my patience on extra-long as we get through this bout of an arriving tooth.
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