Abidec vitamins

[Jodiesmum]

Am I the only person on earth who didn't realise these wretched vitamins are full of peanut oil? I'm so upset to discover this after being really careful not to use baby lotions etc with peanut oil in - now I find I've been syringing it into DD2 every day since she returned from hospital, after being born 2 months premature. Stupidly I never thought to read the label until now, as Abidec was what the neonatal unit prescribed and I just assumed it was therefore safe. Considering the definite link between early exposure and severe peanut allergy, this seems like an absolute bloody scandal. What does anyone else think?

Have to say I am amazed at how little label reading goes on in this country (as compared to health obsessed california where I come from). I always read the label of everything I buy and rarely ever see anyone else in the supermarket doing so.

I have been giving my kids a very nice (american) liquid vitamin (without all the junk) that I got a tesco's. I don't remember the name off hand, but I can look it up in the morning.

No answers, but I too fell into this trap and I assumed that because it was what it was, it was OK. I stopped using it and now give a spoonful of haliborange liquid instead. I also feel the same way about babyfoods that are from 4 months but contain gluten. Now I've gone and poisoned DS as he had jars. It's outragious.

I have been giving this to ds2 (age 2.5) for a year or so as he doesn't eat much (if any) fruit and veg). Can't believe there is peanut oil in it. I didn't read label either, just assumed it would be JUST vitamins. I guess we are all very lucky that our babies haven't had a reaction - but how long before someones does ?

SofiaAmes, could you let me know what the tesco one is called.

Will be scanning all labels thoroughly from now on.

I found this on the net:

ANDY RUSH, general manager (United Kingdom, Ireland, Nordic), Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, states:
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Arachis oil (peanut oil) is included in Abidec as a "carrier" for the vitamin A palmitate, as a means of incorporating the vitamin A into the water-based solution. Arachis oil has always been used for this purpose in both old and new formulations of Abidec.
All ingredients contained in the products, including the arachis oil, are clearly listed on the outer packaging of the product, the labelling on the bottle and the patient information leaflet, in line with Medicines Control Agency regulations.
Our supplier (Roche Vitamins) has confirmed that only highly refined, purified peanut oil is used in production of the product. The arachis oil has been degummed, neutralised, bleached and deodorised. These treatments reduce the protein content to a very low level. Furthermore, based on laboratory analysis, it is not possible to detect any proteins in the oil. It is also current common scientific understanding that degummed, bleached and deodorised oils are free from protein carrying allergenic potential.1
Clearly, it would be considered good clinical practice to avoid administration of any product containing peanut-derived materials to an individual with known sensitivity to peanuts. This advice is reflected in the summary of product characteristics for Abidec, which states: "Abidec Multivitamin Drops is contraindicated in individuals with known hypersensitivity to the product or any of its components including peanut oil."

Jodiesmum, It's called Schiff Children's Liquid Multi Vitamin (with iron and zinc). It says that it's for children under 4. It's pretty expensive, so I am going to finish up what I've got and start giving my kids chewable tablets now that they've both got teeth.

This shocked me too! I'd been dosing my dd on it since weaning and she had a big peanut reaction in October to a piece of peanut butter toast. This made me a bit more label-aware and I noticed the Abidc label about a month later. She hadn't reacted to it, however, even though she'd definitely had doses of the stuff after her anaphylaxis. Not sure why and so I've bought some other stuff instead - hich is very hard to administer as you can only dropper it into a spoon, and it tastes VILE. She hates it so much I usually don't bother. This Schiffs stuff might be handy if it tastes better.