Hartman Pediatrics

11/19/2025

Did you know most babies will become infected with RSV at some point in the first or second year of life? There is still time to schedule your infant to receive the RSV antibody shot at the office to help decrease the risk of pneumonia and hospitalization.

RSV season is here. Did you know it’s the leading cause of hospitalization in babies under 1 year? The good news: there are ways to protect your little one. Learn more by checking out the graphic.

11/13/2025

Great tips for helping to keep your grocery budget on track.

It’s number 5 and 6 for me! How about you? You can now get Affordable Flavors free with code FLAVOR at check out if you need it! DM or comment FLAVOR (or link in bio) to get the link to Affordable Flavors. You can learn more about Affordable Flavors in the post pinned to my feed.

11/13/2025

11/12/2025

If you have this formula, immediately stop feeding to your baby, discard and choose another brand. Please contact the office with questions.

An update to the baby formula recall: ALL ByHeart baby formula has been recalled nationwide after at least 15 babies got seriously ill with infant botulism. All affected babies were hospitalized, though thankfully none have died. The recall includes everything—all their powdered formula and single-serve pouches sold at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and online. If you have any ByHeart formula at home, throw it out immediately.

Infant botulism happens when babies swallow harmful bacteria spores that grow in their intestines and produce a dangerous toxin. It's not like regular food poisoning—the bacteria actually colonize the baby's gut and keep producing toxin over time. Babies under 12 months are uniquely vulnerable because their digestive systems haven't developed the good bacteria that protect older kids and adults from these spores.

The illness usually starts with constipation, then progresses to more serious symptoms: weak crying, poor feeding, droopy eyelids, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing, and trouble breathing. These symptoms can appear anywhere from a few days to a month after consuming contaminated formula. The progression can be gradual—what might seem like normal fussiness can develop into a medical emergency.

If your baby consumed ByHeart formula and shows ANY of these symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately. Tell doctors about the formula recall—there's a specific treatment called BabyBIG that can help, but babies need it quickly. If your infant consumed the recalled formula but seems fine, stay vigilant for at least a month and contact your pediatrician to discuss monitoring. Remember: this only affects babies who consumed ByHeart formula—if you use a different brand or breastfeed, this outbreak doesn't affect you.

Check the FDA outbreak link below for updates!

https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025
https://apnews.com/article/byheart-baby-formula-infant-botulism-recall-e070565daaf1f425e3d37dca20277714

11/04/2025

Whose idea was it to put Halloween and daylight savings time back to back this year? 😂 Hope you’re all surviving!

Double tap if you feel personally victimized by the time change.

11/02/2025

Hartman Pediatrics is a family and we want all of our patients to know we are here to help. We know many of our families are affected by the government shutdown. Please reach out if you are struggling and we will do our best to provide resources to help!

11/01/2025

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone had a great night. Can’t wait to see your pictures in the comments!

10/30/2025

Did you know your child’s immune system is activated more by playing on a playground than by getting a vaccine? Vaccines save lives, and we will continue to follow science when treating our children, those most vulnerable to illness that we know how to prevent.

As a parent, it’s understandable to want to learn about what’s in vaccines. But as you research, you might come across misleading claims about vaccine ingredients.

Antigens, for example, are a key ingredient in vaccines that help children’s immune systems learn to respond to viruses. Your children encounter antigens in many places they visit each day, including playgrounds. In fact, children can come in contact with up to 6,000 antigens each day.

If you have any additional questions about vaccines and their ingredients, talk with your pediatrician or click the link below.
https://bit.ly/430jf37

10/26/2025

At your child’s 4 month check up we start talking about introduction of solid foods, including highly allergenic foods.

10/24/2025

For those of you recently asking about updated COVID vaccines for your children- the Rock Island County Health Department now has them in stock.

RICHD NOW has limited stock of Moderna Spikevax 2025/2026 for ages 6 months and up.
Moderna Spikevax 6 months and up is available, regardless of insurance coverage with our Adult Immunization Program and Vaccines for Children program.
Please understand that we have very limited availability of vaccine for these programs due to program funding cuts.
We have Moderna Spikevax for those with insurance coverage as well.
Regardless of your circumstance, we have you covered!
All clients will be asked when scheduling appointment for vaccine if you have insurance and if your insurance will cover for the COVID 2026/2026 vaccine.
Please have this information available when scheduling.
Call to schedule your COVID 2025/2026 vaccine today 309-794-7080!
RICHD AIP and VFC programs will assist those in paying for flu, COVID-19, and many other vaccines for all ages who may be underinsured and uninsured.

10/22/2025

Excited to share that a recent update of our patient portal now allows parents to self schedule for flu vaccine visits! These are nurse visits only (your child will not be seen by doctor at this type of visit). Remember, you can also schedule sick visits through the portal.

10/12/2025

Over the years more and more parents have started using breast milk for things other than feeding their baby. This is a new one though. Breast milk does have antibodies, but those are digested/absorbed by a baby’s stomach in order to provide benefit and not through their eyes or nose.