Portland Infant Hospitalized with Botulism from Contaminated Formula

A ten-month-old boy in Portland is fighting to recover from infant botulism after consuming contaminated baby formula. The formula, manufactured by ByHeart, was donated through a program intended to assist low-income and homeless families. Ashaan Carter has been hospitalized twice and currently relies on a feeding tube following his diagnosis, which is linked to a wider outbreak affecting over 50 infants across the United States.

Ashaan’s mother, Angel Carter, received a can of ByHeart formula from a caseworker with the Oregon Department of Human Services in early November, shortly before the product was recalled nationwide. Carter, who is 27 years old and receives state food and housing assistance, had been exclusively breastfeeding but was advised by the caseworker that the ByHeart formula was “closest to breast milk.”

“I accepted it thinking, ‘OK, I’m hoping my baby can get on a bottle,’” Carter said. “It’s been all downhill since then.”

State officials have not commented on the specifics of Carter’s case. However, they confirmed that the Oregon agency had received ByHeart formula from PDX Diaper Bank, which is among nearly two dozen nonprofit organizations participating in ByHeart’s “OpenHearted Initiative.” This initiative has aimed to provide formula to families in need since June 2022, with approximately 24,000 cans distributed across various groups focused on supporting vulnerable populations.

Shortly after consuming the formula, Ashaan displayed severe symptoms, including constipation and muscle weakness. His condition deteriorated rapidly, leaving him unable to move his head. Following an emergency room visit, he was transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, where doctors diagnosed him with presumed infant botulism linked to the ByHeart product.

He was treated with BabyBIG, an intravenous medication containing antibodies designed to combat the infection. Ashaan spent nearly two weeks in the hospital in November and was discharged without a feeding tube. Unfortunately, his health declined sharply afterward, resulting in dramatic weight loss and a second hospitalization in December. “He was just withering away,” Carter recalled, expressing her fears that he might not survive.

After the recall of ByHeart products, the Oregon caseworker alerted Carter, advising her to cease use of the formula. However, the damage had already been done, as Ashaan required a replacement feeding tube due to persistent muscle weakness. His ongoing recovery has necessitated relearning basic skills, including crawling and talking.

“It’s devastating, especially for our vulnerable families who are trusting this product to nourish their child and trusting our social services to provide safe food for their babies,” said Dr. Sylvia Peterson-Perry, the family medicine doctor who delivered Ashaan and continues to monitor his progress.

ByHeart had collaborated with Baby2Baby, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, which counts numerous high-profile celebrities among its supporters. Reports indicate that recalled formula was distributed to various groups serving at-risk families. Rachel Alston, executive director of PDX Diaper Bank, confirmed that her organization received about 400 cans of ByHeart formula and distributed over 300 of them before the recall.

“All of our partners confirmed that they took immediate action to inform families, and we offered support where we could along the way,” Alston stated. Officials from Baby2Baby did not respond to requests for comment regarding the situation.

In response to the growing crisis, ByHeart stated that they are actively working with Baby2Baby and other organizations to ensure that all affected products are removed from circulation and families are notified. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no new cases of infant botulism linked to this outbreak have been reported since December 17, 2023.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conducted inspections at ByHeart facilities, but no information regarding the source of the contamination has been released, and production remains halted.

Seattle-based food safety attorney Bill Marler, representing more than 30 families whose infants were affected by ByHeart products, has filed at least 18 lawsuits against the company and retail outlets that sold the contaminated formula. This week, Marler requested a federal panel to consolidate the cases in a U.S. district court in New York.

As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on ensuring the safety of infant nutrition and the urgent need for accountability among companies that provide food products to families in need.