Baby Formula Pulled From Walmart After Infant Death

Posted: 12/23/2011 By Martinne Geller

NEW YORK (Reuters) Dec 22 - A batch of baby formula was pulled from Walmart's shelves this week after the death of a Missouri infant, the company said on Thursday.

Walmart began the process of voluntarily removing the product --

Enfamil Newborn in a 12.5-ounce can with lot number ZP1K7G -- from more than 3,000 U.S. stores late Monday night, a spokeswoman said. The product is being held pending an investigation by health officials.

The newborn died on Sunday, according to local media reports, after he was taken to the hospital for appearing lethargic and displaying what his family said were signs of a stomach ache.

The infant tested positive for Cronobacter, a type of bacteria that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns.

The bacteria have sometimes been found in infant formula, health officials said.
Mead Johnson Nutrition, the company that makes the Enfamil brand formula, said it was confident that all of its products are safe when prepared, stored and used according to the label instructions.

"The batch of our product used by the child's family tested negative for Cronobacter when it was produced and packaged, and that has been reconfirmed from our batch records following this news," Mead Johnson spokesman Chris Perille said.

The company said health officials will be testing any formula consumed by the baby, the water used to prepare it and other environmental sources that could be related to the cause of death.