The Shanghai Health Supervision Agency said yesterday that it is closely following reports that a powerful hormone detected in a skin cleansing cream may have caused adverse reactions in at least one child in Hunan Province.

The concern is centered on Miaoling cream, produced by Miaoling Miao Nationality Medicine Technology Co in Guizhou Province. The cream is approved as a disinfectant, but some parents use it to treat eczema in children and adults sometimes use it for acne and other skin problems.

In recent checks in other provinces, it was found to contain clobetasol propionate, a steroid that is used to treat skin ailments.

The hormone is highly potent and is not recommended for use beyond two weeks.

At least one baby in Hunan Province had an adverse reaction to the cream after using it for seven months to treat eczema.

The Guizhou Metropolitan News said yesterday that the company was ordered to stop production in August after local health authorities detected clobetasol propionate in the cream following customer complaints. The authorities imposed a 5,000-yuan (US$731) fine and plan to withdraw the firm's health permit for illegally changing the cream's formula.

Some 70,000 bottles of the cream have been recalled and destroyed, the newspaper said.

"So far we haven't received reports of adverse reactions from local people who used the cream and haven't received an order from the Ministry of Health," Hu Xuewei, a city health agency official, said yesterday. "We will take action accordingly."

Some Shanghai drugstores started to remove the cream from their shelves after local media reports on Wednesday. Store clerks said the cream sold well, and many customers bought it for their children's eczema.

The Shanghai Skin and Sexually Transmitted Hospital said it received about 20 adult patients with hormone-linked dermatitis who had a history of using Miaoling cream.

In its packaging, the pharmaceutical company claims the cream is made of natural herbs.

Medical experts said a disinfectant is completely different from a medicine and shouldn't be used to treat eczema.

"Hormones are effective in treating inflammation and can be found in many skin medications. But the nation has regulations on the content of hormones and stricter rules for creams used to treat children's skin disease," said Dr Zhang Jian, director of Xinhua Hospital's department of pharmacy.

Adverse reactions from long-term, large-dose use of the hormone include pigment darkening, osteoporosis, drug dependence and early sexual development.

(Shanghai Daily October 24, 2008)