'My baby was left vomiting, bleeding and in pain after drinking three toxic formulas'

A Scottish father has said his baby daughter was left “vomiting, bleeding and in pain” after drinking three infant formulas that were later recalled over contamination fears.

Mark said his one-year-old, Maisie, suffered months of unexplained illness after consuming three different baby formulas, SMA, Aptamil First, and Aptamil Hungry, that were supposed to be “safe and nutritious”.

All of the formulas were later recalled.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) then confirmed 36 clinical reports of infants developing symptoms consistent with toxin poisoning linked to recent baby formula recalls, including seven cases in Scotland.

Manufacturers Nestlé and Danone have recalled specific batches of infant formula due to the possible presence of cereulide, a heat-resistant toxin which can cause vomiting and stomach cramps.

‘Every day was a struggle’

Mark said Maisie experienced persistent vomiting, diarrhoea and severe nappy rashes that progressed to bleeding, causing her significant pain over a seven-month period.

The family spent months trying to wean their daughter onto solid foods, unaware that the formula itself may have been making her ill.

He said the family attended multiple GP appointments and consulted their health visitor as they searched for answers.

“Over the past seven months, every day has been a struggle,” Mark said. “She was frequently distressed, vomiting, and experiencing persistent diarrhoea. We genuinely believed there might be an underlying medical condition.

“She experienced what seemed to be food poisoning, along with severe rashes in her genital area that led to bleeding and significant pain. As parents, witnessing this without knowing the cause was both confusing and deeply distressing for us and for our baby.”

Mark said the incident left his family in severe distress. Mark Redpath via Supplied

On January 5, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed that Nestlé was undertaking a precautionary recall of several batches of SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products in the UK due to the possible presence of cereulide.

On January 24, Danone recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula after potential contamination was identified. Further batches of baby formula have since been removed from shelves as a precaution.

Following the recalls, Mr Redpath said his daughter’s symptoms appeared to match those described by other parents.

“Since then, we’ve seen reports online from other families experiencing similar issues, and our baby’s symptoms were consistent with those.

“This is the third milk we have tried. SMA from birth was recalled. Aptamil First was recalled. Aptamil Hungry was recalled. We have now had to purchase Aptamil Advance.

“We felt extremely distressed and upset upon realising that our daughter had been consuming a baby formula that was meant to be safe and nutritious, but instead appeared to have caused adverse health effects.”

Mr Redpath said the experience had left his family with little confidence in baby formula products from the companies involved.

He is now calling for a full investigation.

“This experience has left us with little to no confidence in baby formula from the companies involved, particularly due to the lack of clear communication and transparency,” he said.

“We believe a full investigation is essential to provide reassurance to parents and to establish a clear timeline showing how long these products were available on shelves and what infants may have been consuming.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed recently that the affected ingredient in SMA products was arachidonic acid (ARA) oil.

This plays an important role in infant development and is added to formula to ensure babies who are not breastfed receive it.

Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency are urging parents and carers to check batch numbers listed in recall notices and stop using any affected products immediately.

Health authorities have stressed that all other batches of Cow & Gate, Aptamil and Nestlé SMA infant or follow-on formula not listed in recall notices remain safe to use.

More detail about which batches have been recalled can be found on food.gov.uk or on the Nestle website.

Amid the contamination crisis, the Swiss food giant confirmed it is working to boost the availability of infant formula to meet demand after the global recall.

It is thought efforts are focused on maintaining supply levels for products aimed at infants under one years of age, who rely on breast milk or baby formula as their main source of nutrition.

Nestle said: “Production at all our infant formula factories is running at full capacity to ensure our products reach consumers as quickly as possible.

“We are focused on increasing the availability of infant formula to meet demand, providing parents and families with high quality products they can trust.”

Nestle and Danone have been the hardest hit by the recall, with a raft of products withdrawn from sale over concerns they contain the cereulide toxin, which can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps if consumed.

The companies have confirmed they are no longer using the affected supplier, and that Aptamil, Cow & Gate and SMA products now on sale do not contain the contaminated ingredient.