Minnesota infant suffers botulism from tainted, recalled formula

State health authorities on Monday alerted doctors to risks of botulism after a Minnesota infant was hospitalized for the rare but serious nerve disease linked to consumption of recalled formula.

The infant is one of 13 whose illness has been associated with ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. The New York-based manufacturer has voluntarily recalled all of its formula products in response to the outbreak.

An alert issued by the Minnesota Department of Health urged doctors to watch for classic initial symptoms among infants: constipation, difficulty feeding, a weakened cry and a lack of head control. Botulism is caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and can cause breathing problems or paralysis.

The thirteen infants in the outbreak were all hospitalized for their illnesses and treated with BabyBIG, an intravenous antibody therapy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None died. The infants ranged in age from 16 days to 6 months at the time of their illnesses, which occurred over the past three months.

No demographic information was immediately available about the Minnesota case, which occurred in August. The state reported four infant cases of botulism in 2023. Risks of the illness remain rare but are increasing in the U.S., state officials say.

Public health interviews with parents identified consumption of ByHeart formula as a likely common source of the illnesses. ByHeart makes less than 1% of infant formulas sold in the U.S., and is available online and at major retailers.

The company in online statements had initially questioned whether its formula was at fault, but said it was acting out of caution when it first recalled two lots of its powder formula before recalling all of its products on Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration had advised the company, according to its statements, of 83 infant botulism cases in all since August.