Nestl\u00e9 infant formula scandal \u2013 summaryBritish infant hospitalised after consuming recalled Nestl\u00e9 formula batchBaby developed meningitis linked to suspected cereulide contamination exposureMother trusted brand and fed product regularly since infant birthNestl\u00e9 recalled specific batches globally citing potential cereulide toxin riskInvestigation ongoing with calls for clarity on contamination source<\/p>\n
The Nestl\u00e9 baby formula scandal<\/a> took a dramatic turn over the weekend as it emerged a British infant had been hospitalised.<\/p>\n The story, broken by Sky News<\/a>, revealed the child\u2019s mother had fed her son a now-recalled batch of the popular brand of formula, resulting in him falling \u201cseriously ill\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking anonymously she said her son, who is just three months old, was first taken to hospital with symptoms that included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain that got progressively worse.<\/p>\n After tests, including two lumbar punctures, medical teams diagnosed meningitis.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people ingest or are exposed to bacteria, it crosses the lining of the mouth or somewhere along the gastrointestinal tract,\u201d Professor Michael Benedict, director of the University of Liverpool\u2019s Brain Infection and Inflammation Group, told Sky News.<\/p>\n Those bacteria can then \u201center the bloodstream and stay there, that causes sepsis or bloodstream infection,\u201d he added, \u201cor if it spreads from the bloodstream to an organ, in this case the meninges, the sac around the brain, it results in meningitis\u201d.<\/p>\n However, in response to this, a spokesperson for Nestl\u00e9 said, \u201ccereulide does not lead to meningitis – we can be categoric on that.\u201d<\/p>\n The baby has been treated with antibiotics.<\/p>\n The development follows reports a public health agency in Brazil had confirmed the illness of two babies there, who had consumed infant formula recalled by Nestl\u00e9.<\/p>\n