All ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products have been recalled nationwide after a growing outbreak of infant botulism that has hospitalized at least 23 babies in 13 states.
If your infant consumed ByHeart baby formula and showed signs of botulism, we are ready to help
Our attorneys will help your family pursue maximum compensation for the harm this contaminated product caused.
Contact our food safety lawyers today and find out how you can get compensation and justice
1-888-377-8900 (Toll-Free) | attorneys@pritzerlaw.com
If you have been affected by this outbreak, please get in touch with us for a free, no-obligation consultation right away. In cases like this it is important to act quickly. Call 888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or fill out the form above to talk with an experienced infant botulism lawyer today. There is never any fee unless we win compensation for you.
Why Families Choose Pritzker Hageman for Infant Botulism Cases
- Deep experience with botulism and foodborne illness
Our lawyers win money settlements in botulism cases and have decades of experience in complex food poisoning litigation. We have collected hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients in foodborne illness cases. - National food safety practice
We represent clients throughout the United States, not just in one region, and are familiar with working alongside state and federal investigators. - No fees unless we win
We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fees unless and until we obtain a settlement for your family. - Personal, compassionate representation
Parents of sickened infants need more than a file number. We make house and hospital calls and we take time to understand how this crisis has changed your life.
What to Know About the ByHeart Infant Botulism Outbreak
Federal and state health agencies are investigating a multistate outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart powdered infant formula.
Key facts (current as of November 13, 2025):
- Cases: 23 suspected or confirmed infant botulism cases
- Hospitalizations: All 23 babies have been hospitalized
- States involved: At least 13 states, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington
- Onset dates: Symptoms began between August 9 and November 11, 2025
- Exposure: Every sick infant is reported to have consumed ByHeart-brand powdered infant formula before becoming ill
- Testing: California’s public health lab found the bacteria that causes botulism in an opened container of ByHeart formula from the home of one sick baby.
The CDC and FDA have expressed concern that more than the originally recalled lots may be contaminated, which led to a recall of all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products.
ByHeart Infant Formula Products Included in the Recall
ByHeart has announced a voluntary nationwide recall of all of its infant formula products, including:
- All can sizes of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula
- Anywhere Pack™ single-serve sticks
Earlier in the investigation, officials focused on two specific lots, but as illnesses continued in babies who had consumed other lots, the recall was expanded to every unexpired ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula product.
These products have been sold:
- Online direct-to-consumer and via subscription
- At major retailers nationwide, including
- Target
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
- Sam’s Club
- Kroger
- Fred Meyer
- Publix
- QFC
- Smith’s
- and other smaller retailors
Do not Feed any ByHeart formula to your baby.
Save the can and packaging in a safe place and contact your baby’s doctor and an attorney as soon as possible.
What To Do If Your Baby Drank Recalled ByHeart Formula
If your child recently consumed ByHeart formula, take these steps right away:
- Stop using the formula immediately
- Do not feed your child any ByHeart formula, even if your baby seems fine. Symptoms can develop over days or weeks.
- Call your pediatrician or go to the ER for concerning symptoms
Seek urgent medical care if your baby has:- Difficulty feeding (poor sucking or swallowing)
- Constipation
- Weak or floppy muscles, especially in the neck
- Droopy eyelids or reduced facial expression
- A weak or altered cry
- Trouble breathing or shallow breathing
- Preserve evidence for a potential claim
- Keep the formula can, lid, and packaging in a sealed bag or container.
- Take clear photos of the can, the lot code and “use by” date, and any receipts or order confirmations.
- Write down when your baby started and stopped using ByHeart and when symptoms first appeared.
- Document your baby’s medical care
- Save discharge summaries, hospital bills, and lab reports.
- Keep a journal of your baby’s symptoms, feeding issues, and how this has affected your family.
- Talk with our experienced infant botulism lawyers
- Our attorneys can help protect critical evidence, work with medical experts, and pursue compensation from ByHeart and other responsible companies.
Ready to talk? Call 888-377-8900 or use the form on this page.
Our legal team makes house and hospital calls nationwide.
Infant Botulism Symptoms and Treatment
Infant botulism occurs when a baby swallows spores of Clostridium botulinum, which then produce toxin in the baby’s intestines and attack the nervous system.
Typical early symptoms include:
- Constipation
- Poor feeding or difficulty sucking
- Weak or altered cry
- Reduced facial expression
- Trouble holding up the head
- Generalized weakness or “floppiness”
As the illness progresses, babies can develop:
- Droopy eyelids
- Problems swallowing or managing saliva
- Breathing difficulties that may require a ventilator
Most infants in this outbreak have been treated with BabyBIG®, a specialized antitoxin that can halt the progression of paralysis and shorten hospital stays.
Even with treatment, infant botulism can mean:
- Weeks in the hospital or intensive care
- Rehab to regain strength and motor skills
- Long-term monitoring for developmental delays
That level of medical care is extremely expensive. A lawsuit can help ensure that the company responsible, not your family, bears those costs.
What Compensation Can a ByHeart Lawsuit Recover?
Every case is different, but a ByHeart infant botulism lawsuit may seek compensation for:
- Past medical bills (ER visits, PICU stays, ventilator support, BabyBIG treatment, diagnostic testing)
- Future medical care and therapy (neurology follow-ups, physical and occupational therapy, developmental assessments)
- Long-term care needs if your child has lasting complications
- Parents’ lost income from time away from work to care for your baby
- Pain and suffering and emotional distress for both the child and family
- Travel and lodging costs for out-of-town hospitalizations
- In extreme cases, wrongful death damages would be sought. Luckily, in this outbreak reported cases have been treated in time.
We work with pediatric, neurological, and life-care planning experts to understand how your child’s injury may affect them and we will pursue maximum compensation.
How Our Botulism Lawyers Investigate ByHeart Cases
Pritzker Hageman is nationally known for food safety litigation, including botulism and infant formula cases.
In ByHeart cases, our legal team typically:
- Secures and tests formula samples
- We help clients preserve opened and unopened cans for potential lab testing.
- Reconstructs your baby’s exposure timeline
- When the formula was purchased, which lots your baby consumed, and when symptoms began.
- Obtains and analyzes full medical records
- To confirm the diagnosis of infant botulism and document how severely your baby was affected.
- Uses public health data to strengthen your case
- FDA outbreak updates, CDC investigations, and state health department findings all help connect individual cases to a broader pattern of contamination.
- Pursues every responsible company in the distribution chain
- That includes manufacturers, co-packers, and retailers when the facts support it.
You will not be dealing with this alone. We guide families through every step and keep you updated as the case progresses.
Frequently Asked Questions About the ByHeart Infant Formula Recall
Is ByHeart formula safe to use now?
As of mid-November 2025, all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and Anywhere Pack sticks have been recalled nationwide due to the risk of infant botulism. Parents are being told not to use any ByHeart formula and to dispose of or return recalled products.
Until health officials declare otherwise, assume no ByHeart formula is safe to feed your baby.
Do I have a claim if my baby hasn’t been diagnosed with botulism?
If your baby drank ByHeart formula but has not been diagnosed or hospitalized, you likely do not have the same type of personal injury claim as a family whose baby developed infant botulism. However:
- If your baby developed suspicious symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.
- If you’ve incurred testing or medical bills related to ByHeart exposure, it is still worth talking with a lawyer to see what your options may be.
We’re happy to review your situation during a free consultation.
Will filing a lawsuit affect my baby’s medical care?
No. Your baby’s doctors should focus solely on providing the best medical treatment. Lawsuits are handled separately through the civil justice system. If anything, a lawsuit can help ensure that future medical needs are financially covered.
How long do we have to file a ByHeart lawsuit?
Every state has its own statute of limitations—a deadline for filing injury claims on behalf of a child. Those deadlines can be complicated and may be shorter than you expect.
Part of our job is to calculate and protect your deadlines immediately so your child’s claim is not lost due to a technicality.
Talk With an Infant Botulism Lawyer Today
If your baby was hospitalized after drinking ByHeart infant formula, you’re dealing with one of the most frightening experiences a parent can face. You shouldn’t have to fight a national formula company by yourself.
Contact Pritzker Hageman
- Call 888-377-8900 (toll-free)
- Text 612-261-0856
- Or contact us online
We’ll listen to what happened, answer your questions, and explain your options.
There is no cost to talk with us, and no fees unless we win.
We have obtained 100+ separate verdicts and settlements greater than $1 million:
Our client suffered substantial injuries after ingesting a defective product.
We obtained this settlement on behalf of a family whose children were sickened with E. coli.
We obtained a $12.15 million settlement on behalf of an 8-year old girl who was sickened in an E. coli outbreak.
We represented seven children who suffered intestinal injuries as a result of a defective food product.
We obtained this settlement on behalf of a 13-year old girl who was sickened with E. coli.
We won this verdict for a child with kidney damage from E. coli in contaminated food.
Our attorneys won this landmark verdict in a case against Foster Poultry Farms. Our client was a 5-year-old child who contracted Salmonella Heidelberg and, as a result, suffered brain damage.
We obtained a settlement from a company that sold contaminated food to our clients, causing the death of unborn children.
Our client suffered severe neurologic injuries as a result of Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne pathogen.
See more settlements & verdicts.
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Attorneys at Pritzker Hageman have been awarded the peer selected Super Lawyers distinction every year since 2004.
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How Can Our Lawyers Help You?
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 612-261-8856 | attorneys@pritzkerlaw.com