Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital is investigating why 17 newborn babies were given an unsuitable milk powder formula in promotional gift sets from a US pharmaceutical company.
A batch of 400-gram Wyeth Progress Gold sets containing powder intended for children aged one to three were distributed to the babies from October 19 to 24, a hospital spokeswoman said. The hospital had not spotted the error until a father from the mainland called.
The hospital has contacted the parents of 13 of the children and is trying to notify the rest.
A hospital spokeswoman said most of the parents were from the mainland. She knew of three babies, all from the mainland, who had taken the formula but without any apparent ill effects.
She said labels on the cans said it was suitable for children aged one to three years old, and she urged parents to check them before use.
The Department of Health called on parents of babies discharged from the hospital in the period who were given gift sets to contact the hospital.