Nara Organics has issued a nationwide recall of its organic baby formula, sold across Target stores and online, following a multi-state outbreak of infant botulism.
The recall was issued after three infants, between two and five months old, fell ill in April and May across California, Pennsylvania, and Washington after consuming Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered infant formula, federal authorities say.
All three were hospitalized and received the FDA-approved treatment, the US Food and Drug Administration said.
Infant botulism is a rare but serious illness that occurs in babies who are under age 1 as their gut microbiomes are still immature. It is caused when infants consume bacteria with spores that produce a toxin in the gut.
Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, difficulty swallowing, and breathing problems. Immediate medical attention is crucial and BabyBIG, an intravenous medication from immunised blood plasma, is the sole treatment.
The FDA said that Nara Organics formula accounts for less than one per cent of all infant formula sold in the United States, meaning the outbreak is not expected to cause supply shortages for parents and carers.
The US Centers for Disease Control has urged anyone with the formula to cease using it immediately.
Manufactured in Europe but sold exclusively in the US, the CDC advises parents with an opened can to photograph it, note the lot number and use-by date, and monitor their infants for symptoms.
They recommended: “Label it ‘DO NOT USE’ and keep it stored in a safe place away from other items you feed your baby for at least a month. If no symptoms appear after a month, throw the leftover formula away.”
