ST LOUIS (MD Consult) - On December 31, 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Texas Department of State Health Services, issued a notification warning consumers to avoid ingesting a product known as Nzu. The Texas agency conducted a laboratory analysis of the product and found that it contained high levels of lead and arsenic.
Nzu is known as a traditional remedy for morning sickness. The product, which is sold in African specialty stores, is also called Calabash clay, Calabar stone, Mabele, Argile, and La Craie. It generally resembles balls of clay or mud and is usually sold in small plastic bags with a handwritten label identifying it as Nzu or Salted Nzu.
Taking Nzu can be especially harmful to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Exposure to lead can result in a number of harmful effects, and a developing child is particularly at risk of its effects on the brain and nervous system. Arsenic is a carcinogen, and excessive long-term exposure to it has been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including cancers of the urinary bladder, lung, and skin.
Consumers of Nzu are being instructed to discontinue use and contact a health care provider. Any adverse events that may be related to the use of Nzu should be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
圣路易斯(MD Consult)——2009年12月31日，美国食品药品管理局(FDA)与德克萨斯州健康服务部共同发布一项通知，警告消费者不要服用名为Nzu的药品。德克萨斯州健康服务部对该药进行实验室分析发现，其含有大量铅和砷。
Nzu是治疗早孕反应的传统药物。在非洲专科药店出售的该药亦称为Calabash泥、Calabar石、Mabele、Argile和La Craie。该药一般类似于球形的粘土或泥土，通常装在小的塑料袋中出售，袋子上贴有手写的“Nzu ”或“加盐 Nzu”的标签。
Nzu对妊娠期和哺乳期妇女尤其有害。暴露于铅可引起许多不良反应，并且易对处于发育阶段儿童的大脑和神经系统产生不良影响。砷是一种致癌物，长期过度暴露于砷可引起一系列不良反应，包括膀胱癌、肺癌和皮肤癌。
建议服用Nzu者停用该药，并且就诊。任何与使用Nzu相关的不良事件应报告至FDA的MedWatch安全性信息和不良事件报告系统(FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program)。
