(LEX 18) — Two lots of organic baby formula have been voluntarily recalled after federal officials linked them to a multi-state outbreak of infant botulism that has sickened 13 infants across 10 states.
The FDA says the recalled ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula has been connected to cases of infant botulism, a rare but serious condition that can cause muscle weakness in babies.
Among those affected is 4-month-old Piper Everett, who has been hospitalized at Golisano Children's at UK since Saturday after her mother discovered they had used the recalled formula.
Everett learned about the recall when a friend reached out about the formula being linked to infant botulism cases.
"So I immediately texted my grandmother. I was like, you need to check the lot numbers on our cans, any cans in the trash, everything, and sure enough, it was an empty can that we had just completely finished," Everett said.
The family had purchased the formula on Amazon, with no way of knowing it would later be tested for the type of bacteria that produces the toxin linked to botulism.
Dr. Sean Michael McTigue, division chief of pediatric infectious disease at Golisano Children's at UK, emphasized that parents shouldn't panic over the recall.
"The vast majority of babies who have eaten this formula are going to be fine. Infantile botulism, even with known exposure, is very rare," McTigue said.
The doctor explained that infant botulism occurs when babies ingest spores that can germinate in the gut and produce toxin, causing muscle weakness. Kentucky typically sees only a handful of infant botulism cases each year.
Warning signs parents should watch for
Parents should be alert for several warning signs of infant botulism, including:
- Constipation
- Inability to suck from a bottle or difficulty feeding
- Trouble swallowing
- Pooling of breast milk or formula in the mouth
- Drooling
- Gurgling or choking sounds when eating
- Becoming weak and floppy
"But if you have a baby who has become constipated and is now showing difficulty feeding, really, those gurgling noises, milk drooling from the mouth, the inability to suck and swallow normally, those would be things that would make a parent want to seek medical care because that is something that's not going to be normal," McTigue said.
If warning signs are present, McTigue assured parents that infant botulism is treatable and babies recover fully with proper care.
"What is absolutely known is that this is something that is completely reversible. So, with treatment, over time, as these neuromuscular junctions repair themselves, the full expectation is for that baby to return to 100% their normal healthy baseline," McTigue said.
Piper's IV has been removed and she's returning to her normal, smiley self. While she may need a short-term feeding tube, doctors tell the Everetts that she's on the mend.
"So we did get lucky that one of my girlfriends saw it so quickly and we acted so quickly. People here at UK have just been amazing, so we've just been very lucky," Everett said.
Everett says she's grateful she trusted her instincts and immediately sought medical care for her daughter.
Read more about ByHeart's voluntary recall and affected lot numbers here.
