Lagos — Lagos alone has recorded the death of 29 children who ingested the fake 'My Pickin' Teething Mixture, the state government announced on Wednesday.

It was to update the figures supplied by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), whose Director General, Dora Akunyili, said the previous day that 25 children had died in Zaria, Ibadan and Lagos after being administered with the drug.

Several more children have suffered from fever, diarrhea, and kidney failure, according to Akunyili.

Although the manufacturer of 'My Pickin' Teething Mixture on Wednesday denied that it caused the deaths, Lagos Health Commissioner, Jide Idris, who provided the latest tally, warned mothers to boycott the drug and similar herbal products for children.

He said their use has triggered a rise in acute renal failure; that is, the rapid breakdown of kidney functions when high levels of waste products of the body's metabolism accumulate in the blood.

This happens when the kidneys are unable to excrete or discharge the daily load of toxins in the urine. It is regarded as a serious disease and treated as a medical emergency.

Idris disclosed that the upsurge in the cases of acute renal failure reported in the state last week cut across various councils, and "the age range of the affected children was between six months and eight years while 29 deaths have been recorded so far."

He urged all public and private health facilities to notify the Disease Control Directorate of the Ministry of Health of any reported symptoms of the teething mixture or similar herbal concoctions, paracetamol overdose, and poisoning.

"Some of the signs and symptoms presented by the patients include inability to pass urine, fever, puffiness of the face, vomiting, diarrhea, cough and catarrh."

He recommended that children with inability to pass urine and or puffiness of the face should be taken to hospital for proper medical attention.

"Mothers should avoid giving their children drugs unless as prescribed by qualified health personnel. My Pickin teething syrups should be avoided as much as possible until further notice.

"Drugs should be purchased only from registered pharmaceutical outlets."

However, Barewa Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturers of 'My Pikin' Teething Mixture, has denied that the product killed children.

A statement issued in Lagos by its Chairman, Kola Okunlola, said NAFDAC licensed the drug, and that the company has produced thousands of it for more than two years without complaints from users or NAFDAC.

"We are bothered that there are conflicting claims between NAFDAC and the teaching hospitals regarding the deaths and the cause of such deaths.

"For instance, the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital has disputed claims that some children died in the hospital.

"We also note that the Chief Medical Director (CM) of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has also disputed claims that the deaths recorded in the hospital were due to the consumption of a particular drug. As the CMD said, only a conclusive laboratory test will reveal the cause of such deaths.

"We hereby affirm our readiness to co-operate with NAFDAC and other relevant agencies to establish the truth in this case. We also wish to allay fears about the reliability of our products," Okunlola said.