On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said people should avoid certain powdered instant formulas as they may be tied to bacterial infections in four hospitalized babies.
The agency said the infections may have led to the death of one baby. These infections have been linked to cases in Texas, Ohio and Minnesota, the FDA said in a news release.
- Three of the infections were cronobacter, a bacteria that can cause severe infection or inflammation of membranes that protect the brain and spine.
- One of the infections was salmonella, which is bacteria that can cause digestive illness and fever.
- “Parents and caregivers of infants who have used these products, and are concerned about the health of their child, should contact their child’s health care provider,” the FDA said in the news release.
According to ABC, the FDA advised avoiding using Similac, Alimentum or EleCare formulas if:
- The first two digits of the code are 22 through 37.
- The code on the container has K8, SH or Z2.
- The expiration date is April 1, 2022, or later.
All the infections stem from powdered formulas made at the Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan. According to CNN, the company is already recalling the formula in question.
- “During testing in our Sturgis, Michigan, facility, we found evidence of Cronobacter sakazakii in the plant in non-product contact areas. We found no evidence of Salmonella Newport,” Abbott Nutrition said in a news release. “Importantly, no distributed product has tested positive for the presence of either of these bacteria, and we continue to test.”
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The facility noted that it has not found Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella while testing the retained samples.