Infant Botulism Cases in 10 States Linked to Recalled Baby Formula

Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases of infant botulism in 10 U.S. states, all linked to recalled batches of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Saturday.

The recall involves two specific lot numbers — 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2 — after all affected infants were hospitalized following consumption of formula from those batches. No deaths have been reported.

The cases span Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington.

ByHeart Inc., which produces the formula, voluntarily initiated the recall as the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to investigate how the contamination occurred and whether additional products were impacted. The affected formula accounted for about 1% of national sales, according to the CDC.

Consumers are urged to check the lot numbers on any ByHeart formula they purchased and either discard or return the product. The CDC advises cleaning all bottles, surfaces, and feeding items that came in contact with the formula using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.

Parents should seek immediate medical attention if an infant consumed the recalled formula. A rare but serious illness caused by toxins produced in the large intestine, infant botulism is a bacteria-produced toxin that can cause constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing and can ultimately lead to paralysis and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms can take several weeks to appear, health officials warned, emphasizing the need for ongoing vigilance.

ByHeart did not immediately respond to requests for comment.