China Suspects Melamine Poisoning After 6 Infants Die

December 1, 2008 10:28 p.m. EST

Beijing, China (AHN) - China's Ministry of Health said Monday the death of six of 11 babies across the country since September may have been caused by melamine poisoning.

The ministry said results of medical examination of the dead infants indicated that five of the victims did not die from taking milk contaminated with the toxic chemical used in making plastic products.

Of the remaining six fatalities, four were from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Guizhou and Shaanxi Provinces, the ministry said. The rest are from Gansu province in northwestern China.

The ministry also said 861 infants are still being treated for kidney problems caused by consuming melamine-tainted formula milk as of last week. The figure is down by 200 from 1,041 infants under treatment the previous week.

As many as 294,000 babies and 51,900 children suffered urinary problems and were hospitalized nationwide due to melamine consumption.