State officials are warning doctors, parents and caregivers of an outbreak of infant botulism that prompted a nationwide recall of all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula.
As of Monday, 15 infants have been diagnosed with suspected or confirmed infant botulism after drinking the formula. There is one suspected case currently under investigation in North Carolina.
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the product is readily available online and may be in home pantries, so parents need to check to be sure they are not feeding it to their babies.
Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by a bacterium. Director of the NCDHHS Division of Public Health Kelly Kimple said it’s a serious illness and can be life-threatening.
Parents who purchased an impacted lot of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula should throw it away or return it to the place of purchase. In addition, they should also wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled formula using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
Symptoms of infant botulism can take as long as several weeks to develop, so parents should remain vigilant if they used the recalled lots of formula. Parents or guardians should seek immediate medical care if the baby shows signs of poor feeding, difficulty swallowing, decreased facial expression, loss of head control, or trouble breathing.
