Hypertrichosis, or "Werewolf Syndrome", is a rare disorder that causes unusual hair growth. It's either something a person is born with or something that could appear later in life.
But when 17 babies in Spain began exhibiting symptoms all around the same time, it was clear that something different was happening there.
While it can sometimes only cause patches of hair growth, it's the people with full-body coverage who get the most press.
One mom described it:
"My son's forehead, cheeks, arms, legs and hands were covered with hair... it was very scary."
Some of the hair was fine and white, while on other children it was thick and black.
But instead of omeprazole, the medicine for treating that disease, the syrup contained minoxidil, which is a medicine used to treat alopecia.
Basically, it stimulates hair growth.
Because babies can't be given medications in pill form, the pharmacies receive the base ingredients in bulk to mix into a syrup.
All of the pharmacies involved had received their tainted omeprazole from the same supplier, who had in turn received it from a supplier in India.
It's believed that an internal error caused the batch to be mislabeled before being sent out, and the Spanish distributor's warehouse is still closed down for more investigation.
Thankfully, now that the babies aren't being given the incorrect medicine, the extra hair should clear up quickly.
h/t: The Sun
