What Has Been Happening
There has been a nationwide outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition powdered infant formula in the U.S. … and health officials are taking it very seriously.
More than 50 babies across many states have gotten sick with infant botulism after drinking this formula. All were hospitalized and treated. No deaths have been reported so far.
Because of this, all ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula products have been recalled — meaning you should stop using them immediately, even if the can was unopened.
What Is Infant Botulism?
Infant botulism is a rare but very serious sickness that affects babies under about 1 year old. It happens when tiny germs (called Clostridium botulinum spores) get into a baby’s tummy and grow there. These germs can make a poison (toxin) that hurts the baby’s nerves.
How babies get sick
Baby drinks something with the spores (in this outbreak, it was linked to powdered formula).
The spores grow inside baby’s gut and make toxin.
The toxin then weakens muscles and can stop the baby from breathing.
Signs to Look For (Very Important)
If you gave your baby recalled formula recently, watch carefully for these signs — especially in the next few weeks after exposure:
Early symptoms:
✔Baby becomes very constipated
✔Baby doesn’t want to eat / suckle
✔Baby seems very weak or floppy
✔Baby’s cry sounds weak
✔Baby can’t lift or control head
✔Baby has trouble swallowing or keeping food down
✔Baby is drooling a lot
✔Baby has trouble breathing
⚠️ If you see any of these signs — go to the hospital right now!
How It’s Treated
In the hospital, doctors give a special medicine (an antitoxin) that helps block the poison and helps babies recover faster. Babies often stay in the hospital for a while, but most get better with treatment.
Do not wait to see if the baby gets better on its own — this condition is serious and needs medical care right away.
How to Protect Babies from Botulism
Here’s what you should do now:
✔ Stop using ByHeart powdered formula right away.
✔ Do not feed honey to babies under 1 year old — even a tiny bit — because honey sometimes has these spores.
✔ If you used the recalled formula but the baby is not sick yet, watch very closely for any of the warning signs for 30 days.
✔ If you are unsure what formula to use next, talk to your baby’s doctor before switching.
Bottom Line — What Parents Need to Know
There’s an ongoing outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart powdered formula.
Stop using those products now.
✔Watch your baby closely for symptoms and get help immediately if anything seems wrong.
✔Infant botulism can be treated — but it needs fast medical care.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Infant botulism.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Botulism prevention.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Signs and symptoms of botulism.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Treatment for botulism.