There have been 36 clinical reports of children suffering symptoms consistent with toxin poisoning linked to recent baby formula recalls, the UK Health Security Agency has said. The UKHSA said it and partner agencies had received 24 notifications in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one from the crown dependencies of children who had consumed implicated batches and developed symptoms.
ByHeart announced on Thursday that its own testing identified the bacterium that causes botulism in its baby formula, which is linked to an ongoing infant botulism outbreak that has doubled since last week. As of November 19, there have been 31 cases across 15 states -up from 15 cases in 12 states reported last week. All 31 cases so far have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
The government is facing renewed calls to tackle the 'exploitative' marketing tactics employed by baby formula companies, which are accused of inflating prices and making unfounded health claims.