The FDA is advising parents and caregivers not to buy or feed any ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products to infants. For more information about the recall, please visit the FDA’s Investigation page. There is a suspected case of infant botulism identified in Massachusetts associated with this recall. Infant botulism is a rare but very serious disease that can damage the nerves, leading to weakness and paralysis.
The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services is working with area retailers to ensure that ByHeart Whole Nutrition Formula is removed from shelves and that store staff are aware of all recall protocols.
If you are a parent or caregiver whose infant has consumed ByHeart formula and has symptoms (constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, and difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing), seek medical care immediately.
If the infant consumed the product but is not showing symptoms, caregivers should monitor them closely over the next several weeks and seek medical care if symptoms develop.
If you still have the container in your home, save the container, take a photo or record the lot information (found on bottom of the container), and label it “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.
If you are a physician and suspect an infant patient has botulism, immediately call 510-231-7600 for case consultation (available 24/7).
The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services will continue to monitor this investigation, support area retailers as needed, and provide updates to the public as they become available.
