Episode 988: Infant Botulism
Published: December 29, 2025
Duration: 2:30
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD
Educational Pearls:
A 2025 multistate outbreak of infant botulism has been linked to ByHeart infant formula
As of December 10-17th, there have been at least 51 infants with suspected or confirmed botulism who were exposed to this formula across 19 states
All reported cases resulted in hospitalization but no deaths reported to date
Infant botulism
Occurs when C. botulinum spores germinate in the infant's intestine, producing toxin
Spores are classically found in honey but can also be in dirt or contaminated in infant f...