Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin has written to around 20 parents to inform them that pituitary glands from their deceased children were passed onto a pharmaceutical company for the manufacture of growth hormones.
In a statement this evening to RTÉ News, the hospital said it had learned in 2000 that pituitary glands were sent to Pharmacia Ireland as part of an international programme to make growth hormone for children deficient in the hormone.
While it gave this information to families who contacted the hospital at the time, it was unable to provide definitive information on individual patients.
The full extent of the practice has now emerged after the drug company involved, Kabi-Vitrim, now called Pharmacia, passed on information from its records to the hospital.
Parents for Justice, the campaign group for families affected by the organs retention controversy, said it was disturbed at the news and wanted to know if the practice was more widespread among other hospitals.
It said that the development confirmed the need for a statutory inquiry into the organs issue.
The families involved are to be offered counselling.
A confidential helpline is open at the hospital for families who want more information. The number is 01-4096715.
