Families of two babies sickened by infantile botulism sue ByHeart over recalled formula

By JONEL ALECCIA AP Physical condition Writer The parents of at least two babies sickened in an infantile botulism outbreak are suing the makers of the ByHeart baby formula at the heart of a nationwide recall Related Articles Ammonia gas leak from a tanker truck in Oklahoma sickens dozens and forces evacuations The US stock region slips as Nvidia and AI superstars keep swinging Building more apartments near constituents transit can help address the housing dilemma and context change The body of a coal miner has been revealed in a flooded West Virginia mine the governor says Takeaways from the newly issued Epstein documents Stephen and Yurany Dexter of Flagstaff Arizona noted their -month-old daughter Rose had to be flown by air ambulance to a children s hospital two hours from home and treated for several weeks this summer Michael and Hanna Everett of Richmond Kentucky reported their daughter Piper also months was rushed to a hospital Nov with worsening clues of the rare and potentially deadly malady The lawsuits filed in federal courts in two states allege that the ByHeart formula the babies consumed was defective and that the company was negligent in selling it They seek financial payment for clinical bills emotional distress and other harm Both families reported they bought the organic formula to provide what they viewed as a natural healthier alternative to traditional baby formulas and that they were shocked and angered by the suffering their children endured I wouldn t guess that a product designed for a helpless evolving human in the United States could cause something this severe stated Stephen Dexter She s so little and you re just helplessly watching this noted Hanna Everett It was awful This photo provided by Hanna Everett shows -month-old Piper Everett being treated for infantile botulism on Nov in a Kentucky hospital Hanna Everett via AP In this photo provided by Stephen Dexter his -month-old daughter Rose Dexter is being treated for infantile botulism at Phoenix Children s Hospital on Sept in Phoenix Ariz Stephen Dexter via AP Yurany Dexter holds her -month-old daughter who was not long ago hospitalized for botulism at their home in Flagstaff Ariz on Wednesday Nov AP Photo Cheyanne Mumphrey Stephen Dexter holds a container of ByHeart baby formula which was in recent times recalled by ByHeart in Flagstaff Ariz on Wednesday Nov AP Photo Cheyanne Mumphrey Show Caption of This photo provided by Hanna Everett shows -month-old Piper Everett being treated for infantile botulism on Nov in a Kentucky hospital Hanna Everett via AP Expand Outbreak began in August Rose Dexter and Piper Everett are among at least infants in a dozen states who have been sickened in the outbreak that began in August according to federal and state healthcare administrators No deaths have been broadcasted Both received the sole healing available for botulism in children less than a year old an IV medication called BabyBIG made from the blood plasma of people immunized against the neurotoxins that cause the illness Investigations into more prospective botulism cases are pending after ByHeart the New York-based formula manufacturer recalled all of its formula nationwide on Tuesday At least U S babies have been treated for infantile botulism since August including those in the outbreak California executives declared The company sells about cans of formula per month It can take up to days for signs of infantile botulism infection to appear health experts noted California administrators certified that a sample from an open can of ByHeart formula fed to an infant who fell ill contained the type of bacteria that can lead to illness The lawsuits filed Wednesday could be the first of multiple legal actions against ByHeart explained Bill Marler a Seattle food safety lawyer who represents Dexter This company potentially faces an existential situation he disclosed ByHeart authorities didn t respond to questions about the new lawsuits but announced they would address any legal declares in due module We remain focused on ensuring that families using ByHeart products are aware of the recall and have factual information about policies they should take the company mentioned in a report Parents fretted as babies grew sicker In Rose Dexter s scenario she received ByHeart formula within days of her birth in July after breast milk was insufficient her father disclosed Stephen Dexter disclosed he went to Whole Foods to find a natural option I m a little concerned with things that are in food that may cause problems he revealed We do our best to buy something that says it s organic But Rose who was healthy at birth didn t thrive on the formula She had trouble feeding and was fussy and fretful as she got sicker On Aug when she was weeks old her parents couldn t wake her Rose was flown by air ambulance to Phoenix Children s Hospital where she stayed for nearly two weeks Hanna Everett disclosed she used ByHeart to supplement breastfeeding starting when Piper was weeks old It s supposed to be similar to breast milk she explained Last weekend Piper started showing signs of illness Everett declared she became more worried when a friend informed her ByHeart had recalled two lots of its Whole Nutrition Infant Formula When a family member checked the empty cans they matched the recalled lots I was like Oh my god we need to go to the ER Everett recalled At Kentucky Children s Hospital Piper s condition worsened rapidly Her pupils stopped dilating correctly and she lost her gag reflex Her head and arms became limp and floppy Doctors promptly ordered doses of the BabyBIG medication which had to be shipped from California Everett disclosed In the meantime Piper had to have a feeding tube and IV lines inserted In both cases the babies improved after receiving rehabilitation Rose went home in September and she no longer requires a feeding tube Piper went home this week They appear to be doing well on different formulas the families explained The Associated Press Fitness and Science Department receives help from the Howard Hughes Therapeutic Institute s Department of Science Development and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content