In news parents need to know, the FDA announced the recall of two batches of ByHeart Inc.'s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula due to an outbreak of infant botulism.
The FDA reported that 83 cases of infant botulism have been found nationwide since August, with 13 cases linked to infants who received ByHeart formula. Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal infection caused by ingesting toxins from Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
It's unknown how the botulism made its way into the formula, but the company announced the recall applies to ByHeart infant formula with the batch codes 251261P2 and 251131P2, with the use-by date Dec. 1, 2026. This information can be found on the bottom of the can.
No deaths were reported. The FDA said it was investigating how the contamination happened and whether it affected any other products.
ByHeart President Mia Hunt weighed in on the recall, saying, "The safety and well-being of every infant who uses our formula is our absolute highest priority."
Consumers who have purchased the recalled ByHeart formula are advised to stop using it immediately and contact their care provider if their infant shows symptoms. Note that the FDA said botulism can take weeks to develop so check with a doctor if your child ingested any of the affected formula, even in the recent past.