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• Posted January 22, 2026

Donated Baby Formula Linked to Infant Botulism Case in Oregon

A 10-month-old boy in Portland, Oregon, is still recovering after becoming seriously ill from infant botulism linked to recalled formula that was donated to families in need.

Ashaan Carter was hospitalized twice and now relies on a feeding tube after drinking ByHeart infant formula that was later pulled from shelves nationwide. 

The infection has sickened more than 50 babies across the U.S., according to federal health officials.

Ashaan’s mother, Angel Carter, 27, said she received the formula from a caseworker with the Oregon Department of Human Services just days before the recall was announced in early November. 

Carter said she had been breastfeeding but was struggling with a low milk supply.

The case worker told Carter that the ByHeart formula was the "closest to breast milk" and could help, she told the Associated Press.

“I accepted it thinking, ‘OK, I’m hoping my baby can get on a bottle,’ ” Carter added. “It’s been all downhill since then.”

Soon after drinking the formula, Ashaan developed severe constipation and muscle weakness. His body became so limp he could not lift his head, his mother said. 

He was taken to the emergency room and later transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland.

Doctors diagnosed him with presumed infant botulism tied to the formula, said Dr. Sylvia Peterson-Perry, a family doctor with Providence Medical Group who cares for Ashaan.

Ashaan was treated with an IV medication that delivers antibodies to stop the infection from worsening. He spent nearly two weeks in the hospital in November and was sent home without a feeding tube.

But his condition quickly deteriorated. He lost weight and was hospitalized again in December. His mother said she feared he would not survive.

“He was just withering away,” Carter told the AP.

Ashaan now has a feeding tube because his muscles remain too weak for him to eat on his own. He is also relearning basic skills such as moving around and making sounds. It’s unclear how long his recovery will take.

“It’s devastating, especially for our vulnerable families who are trusting this product to nourish their child and trusting our social services to provide safe food for their babies,” Peterson-Perry said.

The ByHeart formula came through the company’s “OpenHearted Initiative,” which donated formula to nonprofit groups serving low-income and homeless families. 

Since June 2022, nearly 24,000 cans were distributed nationwide, the company said.

One recipient group, PDX Diaper Bank, received about 400 cans and distributed more than 300 before the recall, executive director Rachel Alston told the Associated Press in an email.

“All of our partners confirmed that they took immediate action to inform families, and we offered support where we could along the way,” she said.

All ByHeart products made since March 2022 have now been recalled due to possible contamination. No new infant botulism cases linked to the outbreak have been reported since Dec. 17, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has inspected ByHeart’s production facilities but has not released details about what caused the contamination. 

Production is still shut down.

Seattle food safety attorney Bill Marler said he represents more than 30 families whose babies became ill after consuming ByHeart formula. 

At least 18 lawsuits have been filed against ByHeart and sellers of the contaminated formula, and efforts are underway to combine the cases in federal court.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on infant botulism.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Jan. 19, 2026