Avery's parents are trying to make sense of what happened.
"I’m angry that they didn't catch it. They should’ve," said Cornett.
All they know so far is that their baby somehow contracted a rare bacterial infection known as cronobacter sakazakii. The bacteria can lead to meningitis, even death.
"The powdered formula has been known to possibly have this type of bacteria,” said Charla Baker, administrator of the Laclede County Health Department.
Staff members at the Laclede County Health Department sent off samples of the two types of formula that the baby ingested for governmental testing. Both formulas were made by Enfamil. They're also sending samples of the water used with the formula.
There's a chance the bacteria came from somewhere else, however.
“It could be something that happened during the feedings or during the processing of the formula when it was being prepared for feeding," said Baker.
It could take a week or more for researchers to get the test results.
"Our goal is try to find what that was,” said Baker.
In the meantime, the Cornett family is left with just a memory of a life that never really had the chance to begin.
“I wish we got more than ten days with him," said Cornett.
Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are working on this case to determine the source of the bacteria. They say, right now, no one using the product should be alarmed but the Walmart store in Lebanon did pull the Enfamil formula off its shelves. That's where the product was purchased.
A fund to help the family has been set up at the Holman Howe Funeral Home in Lebanon.
