Do you feed your baby ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula?
You’ll need to check the batch number to ensure the formula in your cupboard isn’t among the ByHeart formula products recently recalled for possible bacterial contamination.
Child Injury Attorney Jeffrey Killino is recognized nationwide for his dedicated pursuit of justice on behalf of children needlessly harmed as a result of contaminated, defective, and recalled baby products. If you believe recalled ByHeart infant formula caused your infant son or daughter to develop sepsis, meningitis, or another life-threatening bacterial infection, please call our law firm toll-free at 877-875-2927 to speak with an attorney and learn more about your legal rights.
ByHeart Infant Formula: What’s the Problem?
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), five batches of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula have been recalled due to the potential for cross-contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.
ByHeart owns and oversees its entire manufacturing supply chain except for the final canning process, which the company says is done by a reputable third-party packager. The recall was initiated after one test sample from that third-party facility turned positive for the bacteria.
“All product packaged that day, and the first production on the next day, was isolated for destruction and not distributed,” ByHeart said in the recall notice. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are now recalling all product produced during the entire production run.”
The company said the recall was unrelated to its manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, which continues to run 24/7 with an expected re-stock in January. So far, ByHeart has not received any complaints suggesting infants had become ill after consuming the recalled baby formula.
What Should Parents Do with Recalled ByHeart Infant Formula?
The specific product being recalled is ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, Milk Based Powder with Iron for 0-12 Months in 24 oz containers. The containers can be identified by the number on the bottom of the can. Recalled product batches are 22273 C1, 22276 C1, 22277 C1, 22278 C1, and 22280 C1 printed with use by 01 JAN 24 or 01JUL 24.
Parents and caregivers who purchased ByHeart infant formula products should check the bottom of the can and dispose of any included in the recall. Consumers with additional questions or who need assistance determining whether a formula they purchased is recalled can visit ByHeart’s dedicated webpage, email the company directly, or text their questions to 1-909-506-2354.
ByHeart will contact customers who purchased orders from these identified batches via email. As compensation, the company will cover the cost of two cans of alternate formula and provide two cans of their next order of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Formula for free.
What is Cronobacter Sakazakii?
Cronobacter is a pathogen that can thrive in very dry places and is often found in dry foods, including powdered infant formula, powdered milk, herbal teas, and starches.
Symptoms that could indicate a baby is suffering from a Cronobacter infection may include:
- Fever
- Refusal to eat/poor feeding
- Excessive crying
- Very low energy
- Some babies may also have seizures
Any baby exhibiting these symptoms should be taken to a medical provider as soon as possible.
Infants exposed to Cronobacter can develop a severe blood-stream infection called sepsis, as well as meningitis, a life-threatening infection of the brain’s protective membrane. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), meningitis due to Cronobacter occurs almost exclusively among infants in the first 2 months of life. Babies who develop meningitis may develop seizures, brain abscesses or infarcts, hydrocephalus, or other serious complications that can cause long-term neurological problems.
Recent research suggests that approximately 20% of U.S. infants who have developed meningitis or sepsis due to Cronobacter have died. Worldwide, around 40% of babies reported having Cronobacter-related meningitis or sepsis experience fatal outcomes.
ByHeart Bacteria Concerns Follow Massive Abbott Infant Formula Recall
The ByHeart infant formula recall comes just months after the discovery of the same bacteria at Abbott Nutrition’s formula factory in Sturgis, Minnesota. According to The Washington Post, the FDA investigated reports that as many as nine infants had died of Cronobacter infections after consuming formulas manufactured at the facility. The recalled Abbot formulas were also associated with 25 consumer complaints describing “life-threatening illness/injury” and 80 reports of “non-life-threatening illness/injury.”
The contamination forced Abbott to recall all Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare powdered formula products sold in the United States. The resulting five-month closure of the Sturgis plant also exacerbated an already existing formula shortage caused by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. At one point, a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau found that nearly a third of households with a baby younger than 1 had trouble finding formula over the course of one week, with more 40% reporting they had only a week’s supply or less on hand.
The scandal forced Abbott to make leadership changes at the Sturgis plant and the company’s quality organization. In October, the company announced plans to build a $500 million nutrition facility for specialty and metabolic infant formula, with Abbott CEO Robert Ford vowing to work with “regulators and other experts to ensure this facility is state-of-the-art and sets a new standard for infant formula production.”
Contact a Top Child Injury Lawyer Today
As a top child injury and wrongful death attorney, Jeffrey Killino has the resources and knowledge to help victims and their families pursue to receive the compensation they deserve. If your baby was diagnosed with a Cronobacter-related infection, including meningitis or sepsis, and you believe a recalled ByHeart infant formula was to blame, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-877-875-2927.
