4-month-old loses gag reflex and ability to take a bottle after drinking baby formula 'laced with dangerous bacteria,' lawsuit says

A 4-month-old babe successful Kentucky was diagnosed with an "infant botulism" corruption that led to her pupils not dilating and a nonaccomplishment of her gag reflex aft she consumed a "cutting-edge" and "clinically proven" look that was "laced with unsafe bacteria," a suit says.

"This lawsuit arises from a parent's worst nightmare," says a legal complaint filed by Hanna Everett and Michael Everett on  Wednesday successful national tribunal successful the Eastern District of Kentucky.

The Richmond mates accidental their daughter, Piper, was a "happy, healthy" babe earlier they started giving her ByHeart Infant formula. They believed ByHeart made the "highest quality" and "most nutritious" look disposable aft seeing advertisements saying so. This led them to bargain aggregate cans done Amazon.

"Plaintiffs purchased suspect ByHeart, Inc.'s babe look due to the fact that it promised to beryllium a cutting-edge, 'clinically proven,' healthier alternate to accepted formula," the family's ailment says. "Soon aft consuming the formula, [Piper] developed constipation and alarming neurological symptoms. Plaintiffs brought [Piper] to the exigency section wherever doctors diagnosed [Piper] with babe botulism. Public wellness investigators aboriginal confirmed that she was portion of a multistate outbreak caused by ByHeart formula."

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Hanna Everett told the Associated Press she thought ByHeart would beryllium "similar to bosom milk." She said she felt helpless portion watching her small 1 suffer.

"I was like, 'Oh my god, we request to spell to the ER,'" Everett recalled to the AP.

The Everetts said Piper's information worsened implicit time, with her becoming "lethargic" archetypal and processing constipation earlier exhibiting much "disturbing" neurological symptoms, "including an inability to instrumentality a bottle," their ailment charges. She was taken to Kentucky Children's Hospital, wherever her wellness problems continued.

"[Piper] was admitted to the infirmary connected November 9, 2025, and her treating physicians soon made a objective diagnosis of babe botulism and ordered the anti-toxin treatment, which is hard to nutrient and highly scarce," the ailment alleges. "The antitoxin was flown to Kentucky and successfully administered."

The Everetts accidental the Kentucky Department of Public Health launched an probe and discovered that Piper had consumed a "recalled" batch of ByHeart. Their kid is 1 of astatine slightest 15 infants successful 12 antithetic states who person been "sickened" by the formula, according to the complaint. At slightest 1 different household successful Arizona is besides suing the company.

"This ne'er should person happened," Hanna Everett wrote connected Facebook this week. "She is present connected the upside of this. Most of her squad that is taking attraction of her is blessed with her progress. We are inactive connected a feeding conduit and waiting for speech/feeding therapy to springiness their sentiment connected her status."

ByHeart did not respond to Law&Crime's request for remark Thursday.