ByHeart baby formula linked to 13 cases of infant botulism, including 1 in Minnesota

Federal and state public health officials are investigating an outbreak of 13 cases of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Nutrition infant formula.

ByHeart recalled two lots of infant formula on Saturday, according to a Centers for Disease Control Prevention post on the investigation. The recall of the formula, which makes up less than 1% of infant formula sales, won’t cause shortages, the CDC said.

The 13 suspected or confirmed botulism cases come from 10 states and includes one case in Minnesota from August. No deaths have been reported.

Botulism is a serious, rare and potentially fatal illness caused by ingesting a poison called botulinum toxin that is produced by a bacteria. The illness is highly treatable but, when untreated, can lead to difficulty breathing, paralysis and death. The best known way infants under 12 months get botulism is through ingesting honey.

The CDC says that parents should throw away or return recalled formula, wash items that have touched any recalled formula and seek immediate medical care if an infant has consumed ByHeart formula and has symptoms of botulism.

Symptoms include difficulty feeding and swallowing, loss of head control, constipation, a weak cry and decreased facial expression. Though symptoms usually begin 18 to 36 hours after ingesting the toxin, CDC’s notice also warns that symptoms can take as long as weeks to develop.