Three Things You Should Know About the Infant Formula Crisis

On May 13, 2022, the U.S. D.A. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) issued Press Release No. 0106.22 regarding the U.S. infant formula crisis.  In plain English, here’s what parents need to know:

  1. If you are a WIC participant and participate in Food Packages I and II, you might not need a doctor’s note to get “noncontract infant brand formula.” Your state would have to request a waiver from the U.S.D.A
  2. If your state applied for a waiver, your maximum monthly allowance (MMA) could increase
  3. If you state applied for a waiver, you can exchange products purchased with WIC benefits

The USDA reports that to date, not all states have submitted waivers which might adversely impact families. If your state is not listed on this list. Then they did not apply for a waiver. If your state is not on the list, contact your local political representatives to find out why.

For further help and assistance, contact the U.S.D.A website.

The Deadly 17 Minute Cesarean Section: In Memory of Kira Johnson

The public should be wary of certain physicians, and the late Kira Johnson’s physician is one of them.

According to Case No. 800-2016-021723, the California Board of Medicine received six complaints of medical negligence against Dr. Arjang Naim, who is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who practices in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California.

On April 12, 2016, Johnson entered Cesar Sinai Hospital for an elective C-Section accompanied by her family but left the hospital without her.

I attended medical school and did my internship with men like Arlang Naim and know them well. Cowboys is what we called them back in the day. They took pride in whizzing through operative surgeries like they were in a race against time. Safety rules did not apply to them. They breached standards of medical care, and no one held them accountable.

In cases of emergency C-sections, the expected length of time is thirty minutes. Kira Johnson had no emergency conditions, and her C-section was an elective procedure. Naim had two medical practices in Hollywood and Beverly Hills and was probably multi-tasking.

Johnson’s procedure began at 2:31 p.m. and ended at 2:48 p.m., 17 minutes, including her delivery. Unfortunately, in Naim’s haste, he failed to close the bladder flap. Shortly after that, he left the hospital, leaving Johnson’s care to the resident physicians who were in training.

At 4:40 p.m., Johnson developed abnormal bleeding in the bag that collects urine (known as the Foley catheter). Then, at 5:45 p.m., a massive blood clot could be felt through her skin incision. Her pulse then increased dramatically, and is a classic sign of impending shock.

Johnson received multiple blood transfusions and exhibited signs of a dangerous condition called DIC (disseminated intravascular clotting) which meant her blood was not clotting properly. Naim did not arrive at Johnson’s bedside until 8:47 p.m. Despite Johnson’s unstable condition, he wrote orders, including a CT scan and then LEFT THE HOSPITAL.

Johnson’s condition deteriorated further, and the resident physicians called Naim again. He arrived at the hospital at 11:45 p.m. but only wanted to continue to merely observe. However, the resident physicians convinced him to return to the operating room to determine the site of her bleeding.

At 12:25 a.m., Johnson was taken back to the operating room, and at 1:15 a.m., the resident physicians scrambled to find a general surgeon to assist Naim with the procedure. Unfortunately, Kira Johnson’s heart stopped beating.

Further evidence from the California Board of Medicine reported that Johnson was not the only patient who experienced medical neglect.

  1. On August 21, 2015, a patient had a ruptured tubal pregnancy. Naim performed her surgery but failed to achieve any follow-up hospital care for three days despite her requiring a blood transfusion
  2. On March 14, 2016, a patient had a ruptured uterus after experiencing a 16-week pregnancy loss. The uterus was repaired, the patient required a blood transfusion, and Naim did not see the patient during her entire hospital stay.
  3. On May 31, 2016 (approximately one month after Kira Johnson expired), Naim performed a C-section on his patient with a placenta previa (placenta covering the baby). Unfortunately, the placenta could not be removed, and the patient required a hysterectomy performed by Naim and a GYN oncologist. Although it was Naim’s patient, he failed to see her daily during her hospital course.

The California Board of Medicine placed Naim on probation in 2018 for two years, but he is practicing medicine again, including delivering

Would you want him to be your physician?

Soulmates Left Behind on Mothers’ Day

Charles Spurgeon Johnson, Anthony Wallace, Juwan Lopez, and Bruce McIntyre III.

On this Mother’s Day, I honor the soulmates of mothers who left before their time on earth based on clinical incompetence, arrogance, and, yes, that dreaded word no one wants to discuss but is ever apparent racism.

Here are some examples of why Sha-Asia Washington, Amber Rose Isaac, Kira Johnson, and Dr. Chaniece Wallace are no longer with us:

Dr. Dmitry A. Shelchkov, a foreign medical school graduate, failed to provide adequate oxygen or monitor three previous patients before finally killing Sha-Asia Washington. He did not give her oxygen when she became short of breath and placed her epidural catheter incorrectly. His mistakes had been known for years, but it took the death of a 26-year-old first-time mother before the New York Medical Board suspended his medical license.

The obstetrician who performed a 17-minute elective C-Section led to a postpartum hemorrhage and the preventable death probably of Kira Johnson. Unfortunately, he probably still has privileges at the infamous Cedar Sinai Hospital.

The ob-gyn residents and their attending physicians at Montefiore Hospital who missed Amber Rose Isaac’s dropping platelets are probably still practicing without any accountability except providing a pathetic apology that will not bring her back to life.

And then there’s the case that keeps me up at night involving my fellow physician colleague and sorority sister, Dr. Chaniece Wallace. The horrific two-hour delay of starting an intravenous line in the setting of her hypertensive crisis is chilling. Yet, St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indiana purports to have given her the best care.

Yet, amid this madness, four remarkable men have turned their pain into action on behalf of their departed soulmates. Their comments and posts on social media platforms demonstrate a palpable love. They speak about their beloved in the present tense. They not only continue to love these women but remain IN love with them despite their physical absence of 6 years for Charles Spurgeon Johnson IV and two years for Anthony Wallace, Juwan Lopez, and Bruce McIntyre III.

These brothers teach us that love continues to win, even in death, and has created beautiful children that represent their legacy.

Today, I salute the soulmates of Kira, Sha-Asia, Amber, and Chaniece, who continue to teach all of us that death has no real power over love, just as it had no power over Jesus, the Christ.

May my sisters continue to rest in Power, and may their memory continue to be a blessing.

 

The U.K. Approves an Early Preeclampsia Diagnostic Test. Will the U.S. Follow?

A decision made by the British version of our NIH, the National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE), sheds a flicker of light onto a very dark landscape regarding maternal mortality. They are authorizing the use of a blood test that will diagnose preeclampsia as early as 20 weeks. This decision is groundbreaking news and will change the landscape of how preeclampsia is currently diagnosed, treated, and hopefully save lives.

NICE is developing a draft of clinical guidelines and believes that African, Caribbean, and Asian women will benefit the most based on their history of adverse birth outcomes.

Here’s what you need to know in plain English about the test:

  • It measures Placenta Growth Factor (PIGF), which is a protein that plays a role in the development of blood vessels in the placenta
  • Women who have preeclampsia have low levels of PIGF. Low levels of PIGF means that the placenta blood vessels do not grow well

Can these tests diagnose as well as exclude preeclampsia?

Yes, according to published literature cited in the article.

Who makes these tests?

Four independent labs: one in San Diego, two in Germany, and a lab in Finland

What are the benefits of using this test for pregnant women?

The tests will make it easier for healthcare providers to diagnose preeclampsia and make fewer mistakes regarding clinical management.

Are there any economic benefits of using this test?

According to NICE literature, the saving was between 26 pounds ($34.06) to 2,896 pounds ($3,793.76) per patient.

Are there any other early diagnostic tests for preeclampsia?

Yes, there is a test using different technology that measures cell-free RNA as a means of early preeclampsia detection, according to an article published by Nature.com. However, healthcare providers do not currently use this test because it has not been approved as part of clinical guidelines.

I anxiously await the use of PIGF in mainstream obstetrics. We once thought that the adverse effects of preeclampsia stopped when the baby and placenta were delivered. However, we now know that reasoning was wrong based on the number of women who died during the postpartum period. Hopefully, with the future use of this test, women will no longer be discharged from hospitals or emergency departments prematurely. Anything that decreases maternal mortality gives me a glimmer of hope.

 

Four Infants Hospitalized and One Death Force FDA Recall of Infant Powered Formulas

 

On February 25, 2022, the FDA issued a recall regarding three powdered infant formula brands made by Abbott Nutrition associated with bacterial infections, Salmonella and Cronobacter, which have produced at least one infant death and caused severe illnesses in three.

The contaminated powdered formula was manufactured in Sturgis, Michigan, and cases were reported in Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas between September 20, 2021, and January 11, 2022, involving Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare. The FDA recommends consumers look at the lot code, a multidigit number on the bottom of a container of powdered infant formula. The involved lot numbers are:

  • the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and
  • the code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2; and
  • the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.

Need more information? Please visit Abbott’s website to check lot numbers if you have purchased any of the brands mentioned earlier. Abbott has also provided a phone number, 1-800-986-8540. In addition, information regarding symptoms of bacterial infections is located on the FDA’s website.

Aside from breast milk, infant formulas are the only source of nutrition for babies and newborns; therefore, this recall is a serious issue. In the interest of public safety, please share this information with all new moms and families.

Asl always, remember knowledge is power. Share and empower.