Angel Carter had breastfed her baby, Ashaan, exclusively from the day he was born.But last November, when Ashaan was 9 months old, it was time for Carter to transition her son to a sippy cup.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.An Oregon Department of Human Services caseworker suggested that Carter, a single mother receiving state assistance, try ByHeart infant formula because it was “the closest thing to breast milk,” Carter recalled.Within a week, baby Ashaan, an active, babbling little boy, had changed.
He was no longer making eye contact, instead staring off into space for 30 minutes or longer.He stopped being interested in food and wouldn’t even latch on to nurse.
Once able to stand and take steps, Ashaan no longer had the strength to sit upright.His skin became a sickly color.
“He was turning grayish blue.He looked like a faded picture of himself,” Carter, of Portland, said.
“His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, my baby is dying.’”Ashaan Carter's medical supplies.At 16 months old, Ashaan still can't eat on his own.Celeste Noche for NBC NewsAshaan Carter will need surgery in July to replace his G-tube to eat following a bout with infant botulism linked to formula.Celeste Noche for NBC NewsAshaan’s symptoms were classic signs of botulism.
The toxin blurs vision and blocks nerves from telling muscles to contract, leaving babies floppy and constipated.Their mouths lose the ability to suck from a bottle and swallow liquids.
Doctors told Carter they needed to move quickly.“Without the right help, he could die,” she said they told her.
“A chaplain even came to the hospital room.” On Nov.11, as Ashaan’s medical team was scrambling into action, New York-based organic formula maker ByHeart and the Food and Drug Administration were issuing a nationwide recall of all ByHeart infant formula products.It was the first botulinum toxin out...