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| Doctors at the Paediatrics Department of Hà Nội’s Bạch Mai Hospital are treating two children suffering from acute lead poisoning due to consumption of a traditional medicine called thuốc cam of unknown origin. — Photo danviet.vn |
HÀ NỘI — Doctors at the Paediatrics Department of Hà Nội’s Bạch Mai Hospital are treating two children suffering from acute lead poisoning due to consumption of a traditional medicine called thuốc cam of unknown origin.
A six-month-old baby from northern Thái Bình Province was admitted to hospital on June 21 with serious bacterial contamination, respiratory system failure, convulsions and brain damage. The parents were giving him thuốc cam to treat dermatitis for 24 days before he was admitted to hospital.
Tests showed that the lead level in his blood had reached 105 microgram per 100ml, far higher than the permitted level.
The second patient, a seven-month-old baby from Hà Nội’s Hoài Đức District, was suffering from damage to his lungs, liver and digestive system after taking thuốc cam bought from a herbalist at the market.
The infants are in stable condition, but the long-term impact on their health has not been determined, according to doctors.
Doctor Nguyễn Thành Nam, head of the Paediatrics Department at Bạch Mai Hospital, warned parents against buying the herbal medicine without clear indications of origin and business licence. If children take the medicine and develop abnormal symptoms, parents are advised to take them to reputable medical facilities.
Literally translated as "orange medicine", thuốc cam is a traditional powder believed to have detoxification properties that can supposedly cure mouth sores, furry tongue, constipation, and spur growth in children. — VNS
