At least 17 children, including babies, have developed so-called 'werewolf syndrome' after being given a hair loss treatment instead of a gastric reflux medicine, Spain's health ministry has said. The children began growing hair all over their bodies after consuming what was thought to be omeprazole but actually contained minoxidil.
The mix-up occurred at the laboratory FarmaQuimica Sur, based in Malaga, which mistakenly put minoxidil in containers marked as omeprazole and distributed them to pharmacies. The error emerged in June, and health authorities have since identified 17 cases in the northern region of Cantabria, southern Andalusia, and eastern Valencia.
Health minister Maria Luisa Carcedo confirmed on Wednesday that the bad batches came from the laboratory and that it has been closed as a precaution. The children are now suffering from hypertrichosis, a rare condition causing abnormal hair growth.
A health ministry spokesman said the condition is expected to reverse after the children stop taking the drug, which has been withdrawn from the market. A spokeswoman for Andalusia's health department reported that the four affected children in the south, including three babies and a seven-year-old, are doing well.
