CDC Warns About Lead in Diep Bao Baby Cream

DIEP BAO, a baby cream used for skin care has been found with high levels of lead.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is warning families to avoid using this skin care cream while it is being investigated nationally due to high levels of lead that were found in two tubes of the product used to treat eczema in young children by the Oregon Health Authority. This skin care product to treat eczema in young children is popular within Vietnamese communities.

Tubes of Diep Bao from the patients’ home were collected and tested. One tube contained 9,670 parts per million (ppm) of lead, and the other tube contained 7,370 ppm of lead. Investigations to identify additional lead-contaminated tubes are ongoing. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate medications, the FDA guidance limits lead in cosmetics is 10 ppm.

The high rate of lead can cause elevated blood lead levels in young children. Elevated blood lead levels can be extremely dangerous to the health and well-being of families with young children. Lead poisoning can damage young children’s central nervous system and cognitive (brain) development. The CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program recommends that parents should stop using this product until more information becomes known.

The symptoms of lead poisoning may not be immediately recognizable. If you have used Diep Bao to treat for your child’s eczema, have your child screened for lead poisoning by your primary care provider.

Additional information is available here:

If you have questions, contact the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 617-534-5965 or email: leadpoisoning@bphc.org