Infant botulism in California and 9 other states linked to formula being recalled

"Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases in 10 states of infant botulism linked to baby formula that was being recalled, authorities said Saturday. ByHeart Inc. agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company's Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. All 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming formula from two lots: 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2. The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington. No deaths were reported."

"The FDA said it was investigating how the contamination happened and whether it affected any other products. Available online and through major retailers, the product accounted for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who bought the recalled formula should record the lot number if possible before throwing it out or returning it to where it was purchased, the CDC said in a statement."

"They should use a dishwasher or hot, soapy water to clean items and surfaces that touched the formula. And they should seek medical care right away if an infant has consumed recalled formula and then had poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing or decreased facial expression. Infant botulism is caused by a bacterium that produces toxins in the large intestine. Symptoms can take weeks to develop, so parents should keep vigilant, the CDC said."

Thirteen infants across ten states were hospitalized with infant botulism after consuming two recalled lots of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. ByHeart agreed to recall lots 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2 while the FDA investigates how the contamination happened and whether other products were affected. The formula was sold online and through major retailers and made up an estimated 1% of national formula sales. The CDC advised recording lot numbers, thoroughly cleaning items and surfaces that touched the formula, and seeking immediate medical care for infants showing feeding problems, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing, or decreased facial expression. Symptoms can take weeks to appear.

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