France recalls nutrient bags that killed 3 newborns in December
France has recalled a batch of nutrient bags used by hospitals in the Alps to feed babies, the government announced on Saturday after three infants died from bacterial contamination.
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The three newborns died on different days in early December and prompted the parents to file criminal complaints for manslaughter against the hospital located in the town of Chambery in southeast France.
Several unused IV bags from the same batch given to the newborns were found to have traces of bacteria, according to the hospital.
France’s Health Minister Marisol Touraine said all of the affected bags have been removed.
One of the parents told Agence France Presse that this represented a failure in the system and that it must be found to prevent similar cases in the future.
Local prosecutors said they would not comment on the case before next week.
Guy-Pierre Martin, the hospital’s director, told a news conference Saturday that the contaminated IV nutrient bags all came from a French pharmaceutical firm, but refused to disclose the name saying it was up to authorities.
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