A couple of weeks ago it became sadly obvious that consuming something made in China is dangerous. Thousands of babies suffered kidney stones or worse after drinking formula tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical. Worse, it is suspected that the melamine was added intentionally in order to bolster the protein levels.

Until now, you might have said, ‘Wow, that’s sad,’ but not worried about it because your child is not drinking Chinese formula. But your older children’and yourself’could still be consuming melamine-tainted milk products.

In Indonesia, two-thirds of Chinese milk products on store shelves tested positive for the chemical, including cookies, candy, milk tablets, and some drinks. Now, British candy maker Cadbury is recalling 11 products due to suspicion they may include melamine. They are distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. But I wouldn’t breath a sigh of relief just yet.

In tests conducted in several countries, melamine has been found in popular Chinese-manufactured products including Oreo cookies, M&M candies, Snickers candy bars. So now US manufacturers are in on the action. ‘They’ say they are safe. But who are they and why should I believe their claims?

It’s hard for me to fathom that Western corporations still make money by manufacturing goods in China. After millions of dollars lost in recalls, I’d think they’d learn their lesson. Because even though this particular scandal will be cleared up, I still wonder what’s next. Lead paint on toys, industrial chemicals in milk? will we find out there’s something woven into the clothes we wear? I’m paranoid, but I don’t think it’s unfounded.

I’m going to check my calcium supplement right now?

A study published recently in the medical journal, Lancet has changed significantly the previously held belief that only folic acid was needed during preconception and during the first few months of pregnancy to help protect unborn babies from certain defects. The study now shows that in fact, babies have increased health benefits when women take multiple vitamins and minerals and not only folic acid.

The study revealed that there was a decrease of 18 percent in infant death among women who took multiple micronutrient supplements. The vitamin cocktail was in a pill containing 15 main vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, zinc, iodine, copper and selenium, in addition to 400 micrograms folic acid (government recommended dosage) and 30 micrograms iron.

The taking of MMN (Multiple Micronutrient supplements) among the test subjects found that there for every 1000 births there was a death rate of 35.5 while it was 43 percent among those women were taking the traditional 30 microgram iron and 400 micrograms folic acid .

The research was done at the SUMMIT Institute of Development, University if Mataram, Indonesia studied 31, 290 pregnant Indonesian women. The study group was divided into two with 15,804 of the women given the vitamin cocktail and the remaining 15, 486 given the government recommended IFA (iron and folic acid). The women taking IFA had among them a higher infant mortality rate than those who took the new MMS. The women took the MMs when they joined the study and continued to do so up to three months after giving birth.

The study also found that the birthweight of babies born to women taking MMS was improved as well. The study?s lead author, Dr. Anuraj Shankar, also noted that it was possible that the nutrients taken in the MMS improved the quality of breast milk with increased health benefits to breastfed babies including improved survival rate inside and outside the womb.

I found this new study interesting, as it reveals the often repeated mantra that it is important to eat a balanced diet especially when pregnant. Unfortunately, the study didn?t indicate whether eating foods rich in the vitamins and minerals contained in the MMS would work as well.