Baby formula recall for botulism: What NJ parents need to know
🍼 15 infants hospitalized nationwide — including one in New Jersey.
🍼 FDA expands recall to include all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products.
🍼 Parents urged to isolate recalled formula and monitor babies for botulism symptoms.
Federal authorities are announcing a baby formula recall linked to 15 infants hospitalized with botulism across 12 states, including New Jersey.
The hospitalized infants range in age from 16 days to 157 days, according to the Food and Drug Administration. One of the hospitalized infants is in New Jersey.
Authorities say all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula has been voluntarily recalled.
ByHeart recall expanded after nationwide baby illness reports
The original recall affected only two batches of ByHeart formula. However, on Tuesday, ByHealth expanded the recall to all formula cans and single-serve sticks.
The FDA has tracked more than 80 cases of infant botulism since August; 15 of them had received ByHeart formula.
"This information shows that ByHeart brand formula is disproportionately represented among sick infants in this outbreak, especially given that ByHeart represents an estimated 1% of all infant formula sales in the United States," an outbreak alert said.
As of Tuesday, no deaths have been reported.
What parents should do if they have ByHeart baby formula
If you have bought ByHeart infant formula and it is in your home, do not throw it away. Instead, the FDA recommends that you:
🚨 take a photo or record the information on the bottom of the package.
🚨 keep the container in a safe spot and be sure to label that product as DO NOT USE.
🚨 If your child develops symptoms your state health department might want to collect your formula container for testing. If your child does not develop symptoms after 30 days, throw your containers out.
After the container has been isolated, thoroughly wash any items or surfaces that have come into contact with the recalled formula.
Botulism in infants: what parents in New Jersey need to know
Most cases of botulism occur in infants younger than six months, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
Botulism can be fatal for infants if not treated. However, most babies who receive treatment make full recoveries.
Symptoms of botulism can include:
🔴 constipation,
🔴 poor feeding,
🔴 ptosis (drooping eyelid),
🔴 sluggish pupils,
🔴 low muscle tone,
🔴 difficulty sucking and swallowing,
🔴 weak or altered cry,
🔴 generalized weakness,
🔴 respiratory difficulty, and possibly respiratory arrest.
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