ByHeart: Arizona families affected by nationwide baby formula recall

PHOENIX - A nationwide recall is underway for ByHeart baby formula after 13 infants across 10 states contracted botulism, a rare but serious illness.

Arizona is among the states where families have found the recalled formula, and pediatricians are recommending parents throw out all cans of ByHeart baby formula.

Local perspective:

Mary Van Decker, a Valley mother, was at the pediatrician with her 9-month-old, Paul, on Nov. 10. She is relieved her son has shown no symptoms after consuming the formula for months, but other families have not been so lucky.

"Kind of like helpless, you know, because it's like you think you're doing the right thing," said Hanna Everett, whose 3-month-old daughter, Piper, is hospitalized with botulism. "Especially like this formula is, like, targeted to people who, like, want to breastfeed but couldn't."

Van Decker said the situation is alarming. "Anything you give your baby, and then you see something's been recalled. It's like obviously super alarming."

ByHeart formula was one of the first organic, grass-fed baby formulas approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company has recalled two lots, pulling them from shelves, saying the action was taken out of an abundance of caution.

"You think you're making a better choice, you know, with this formula other than like your normal brands only to find out that, you know, she's now got botulism," Everett said. "She went through an entire can of one of the affected ones."

Piper Everett is now one of the 13 hospitalized infants. The baby girl is spending her third night in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with a feeding tube and multiple IVs.

Everett noted the formula's marketing: "It says comparable to breast milk or closest to breast milk on its label. So it's almost like a guilt trip kind of thing, you know?"

Dig deeper:

The Arizona Department of Health confirmed four cases of botulism this month but is unsure if they are linked to the ByHeart recall.

Camelback Pediatrics was overwhelmed with calls from worried parents Monday. Pediatrician Kristin Struble anticipates more cans could be impacted.

"This bacterium likes to travel to their large intestine and that's where it multiplies and releases this toxin. And because they're little, they're more prone to that," Struble said.

Symptoms to watch for include constipation, poor feeding, difficulty swallowing and lethargy.

Struble offered reassurance to worried parents: "There's treatment for this. Just be very vigilant about calling your doctor and making sure that if there is a concern that you seek care, but it will be OK, and please don't feel guilty, is what I would say. Because you don't know, you picked a really quality formula."

What you can do:

ByHeart says it will reimburse families with new cans of the formula.

Parents are advised to check the bottom of the can for lot numbers, and take a picture before discarding it.

If an infant has consumed ByHeart formula and is showing symptoms, parents should contact their medical provider immediately.

Click here for signs of botulism from Mayo Clinic.

What they're saying:

The Arizona Department of Health Services released a statement:

The Arizona Department of Health Services is working to ensure the public is aware of this recall and we appreciate your interest in this situation. Anyone with ByHeart Whole Nutritional Infant Formula should immediately stop using. The product should be discarded or returned to where it was purchased. The FDA has confirmed the product has been sold online and through major retailers. At this time, we are aware of one confirmed case of botulism in an infant in Arizona, in an on-going investigation. While the infant has recovered, botulism is serious and can be fatal.  Parents should seek medical help if an infant has consumed the product and shows any of these signs: poor feeding, loss of head control, trouble swallowing, and weak facial expression.