Wal-Mart pulls infant formula after newborn dies in Missouri
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BY Maria Cendejas
Wal-Mart stores has pulled a batch of powdered infant formula from more than 3,000 nationwide stores after a newborn in Missouri was given the formula became gravely ill with a suspected bacterial infection and he died after being taken off life support, the retailer was cited by USAToday as saying Wednesday.
No government recall had been made for the 12.5-ounce cans of Enfamil Newborn powder with the lot number ZP1K7G.
Mead Johnson Nutrition, the manufacturer of the infant formula, said its records showed the lot tested negative for the bacterium before it was shipped.
But Wal-Mart spokeswoman Dianna Gee said that they decided to pull the lot "out of an abundance of caution" while health officials investigate the death of 10-day-old Avery Cornett that occurred on Sunday.
Gee also said the product could go back on shelves depending on the outcome of the investigation, but customers who bought the cans have the option of an exchange or returning them for a refund.
On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Gena Terlizzi said that samples of the infant formula given to Avery were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing.
In a statement, Terlizzi said "At this point it has not been determined whether the illness is linked to the formula or an outside source."
The Lebanon Daily Record newspaper reported that Avery was taken to St. John's Hospital-Lebanon late last week after appearing lethargic and displaying what his family said were signs of a stomach ache. Later, he was moved to St. John's Hospital in Springfield, and preliminary tests showed that he had contracted a rare bacterial infection. On Sunday Avery died after they removed him from life support.
He had been fed Enfamil Newborn powder bought at a Walmart store in Lebanon. Walmart stopped selling the product after they learned of his death.
A spokesman for Glenview, Ill.-based Mead Johnson Nutrition Christopher Perille said Enfamil Newborn powder were sold at a variety of retailers, but he didn't have the information about whether other companies received units from the lot now being investigated.
He also said all of the company's infant formula products are put through a battery of tests as they are produced, packaged, and sealed.
"One of the things every batch of product is tested for is Cronobacter," Perille said. "We went back and checked on the batch in question, and it had tested negative for Cronobacter."
Perille said that public health investigators are seeking the source of Avery's infection and will also look at environmental factors, such as the water that was used in preparing the powdered formula, and at anything else the baby might have ingested.
Terlizzi said that the Missouri Department of Health is advising parents to follow World Health Organization guidelines for preparing powdered infant formula safely.
She also said, "This includes washing your hands with soap and water, thoroughly sterilizing all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and preparing enough formula for only one feeding at a time."
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