Federal health officials say 39 babies in 18 states have been sickened in an infant botulism outbreak tied to contaminated formula. ByHeart recalled all of its products sold throughout the U.S. No deaths have been reported. Health officials say parents and caregivers who have the formula in their homes should stop using it immediately. Botulism is a rare but potentially deadly disease. The most recent illness was reported Nov. 19. The company has said lab tests confirmed some samples were contaminated with the bacteria that can cause the illness.

THC-infused drinks and snacks have soared in popularity as alcohol sales have declined in recent years. But the bill that ended the federal government shutdown this month includes a provision to ban THC products derived from hemp. The $24 billion industry is now scrambling to save itself before the ban takes effect a year from now. A loophole in the 2018 farm bill allowed products containing THC to spread across the country. That's been a lifeline for some breweries that have turned to canning THC-infused beverages, but it's also prompted concern about sales of intoxicating products at gas stations an convenience stores across the country.

The makers of ByHeart infant formula say tests of products tied to a botulism outbreak show that all of the company's products may have been contaminated. Laboratory tests of 36 samples of formula from three different lots showed that five samples contained the type of bacteria that can lead to the rare and potentially deadly illness. At least 31 babies in 15 states have been sickened in the outbreak that began in August. In addition, health officials say other infants who consumed ByHeart formula were treated in earlier months, as far back as November 2024.

As health officials investigate more than 30 cases of infant botulism linked to ByHeart baby formula since August, parents who say their children were sickened with the same illness months before the current outbreak are demanding answers, too.

The parents of two babies who were sickened in an infantile botulism outbreak linked to recalled ByHeart infant formula are suing the company. Lawyers for Stephen and Yurany Dexter of Flagstaff, Arizona, and Michael and Hanna Everett of Richmond, Kentucky, filed lawsuits Wednesday in federal court in two states. The families allege that their 4-month-old daughters, Rose Dexter and Piper Everett, developed the rare and potentially deadly disease after drinking recalled ByHeart formula. The babies are among 15 infants in a dozen states who have contracted infantile botulism during the outbreak that began in August. New York-based ByHeart recalled all of its formula nationwide on Tuesday.