Target Recalls Up & Up Baby Wipes — Bacteria That Can Cause Life-Threatening Infections in Babies Was Found

The short version: Target is voluntarily recalling Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes and Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes after customers reported discoloration in the product and the FDA confirmed the presence of two types of dangerous bacteria — Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli — in product samples. The bacteria can cause serious infections, and in the most vulnerable patients — newborns, infants, and immunocompromised individuals — those infections can spread to the bloodstream and become life-threatening.

What Bacteria Was Found and Why It Is Dangerous

The two bacteria found in the recalled wipes — Burkholderia cepacia complex (also called Bcc) and Burkholderia gladioli — are not the kind of bacteria you might expect to find in a baby product. In healthy adults, these organisms typically cause little or no harm. But in vulnerable patients, they are a completely different story.

Burkholderia cepacia complex is classified by the CDC as an opportunistic pathogen. It is particularly dangerous for people with cystic fibrosis and for anyone with a compromised immune system. When it gets into the bloodstream, it can cause bacteremia — a blood infection — or full-blown sepsis, which is a life-threatening reaction where the body's response to infection begins damaging its own organs. It can also cause pneumonia.

Burkholderia gladioli is related and carries similar risks. Both bacteria are known to be difficult to treat once they reach the bloodstream because they are resistant to many common antibiotics.

For a healthy adult, exposure through normal skin contact is unlikely to cause serious illness. But wiping a newborn's delicate skin — particularly around the face, mouth, eyes, or a wound such as the umbilical cord stump — is a different matter. Any barrier break in a baby's skin gives the bacteria a potential route into the body.

Who Is Most at Risk

The FDA and Target specifically identify three groups at heightened risk:

• Newborns — especially in the first weeks of life, when the immune system is still developing and the skin barrier may be more permeable
• Infants and young children — their immune systems are not yet fully mature
• Immunocompromised individuals — anyone whose immune system is weakened due to cancer treatment, HIV, organ transplant medications, or other conditions

For these groups, the FDA warns that Burkholderia infection is more likely to spread into the bloodstream, "potentially leading to life-threatening sepsis or pneumonia."

Which Products Are Affected

Two distinct Up & Up products are included in this recall. Here is exactly what to look for:

Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes (available in 20, 72, 216, 800, and 1,200 count)

• Manufacturing date codes: 071125X/XX (Nov 7, 2025) through 050526X/XXX (May 5, 2026)
• Expiration dates: May 10, 2028 through November 5, 2028

Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes (available in 72, 216, and 800 count)

• Manufacturing date codes: 291225X/XX (Dec 29, 2025) and 301225X/XX (Dec 30, 2025)
• Expiration dates: June 29, 2028 and June 30, 2028

The date codes are typically printed on the back or bottom of the package. The expiration date is the easiest to check quickly. If your package falls within those expiration date ranges, it is likely part of the recall. For a full list of UPC codes, visit the FDA's recall database at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts.

What to Do Right Now

• Stop using the wipes immediately if your package falls within the affected date ranges.
• Return the package to any Target store for a full refund. You do not need a receipt.
• Do not throw the package away if your baby has been recently ill — keep it as documentation in case you need to show which product was used.
• If your baby has had unexplained fever, difficulty breathing, or signs of serious infection in recent weeks and you used these wipes, tell your pediatrician which product was involved and show them the date code on the package.
• Call your pediatrician if you have any concerns about symptoms your baby has experienced.

If Your Baby Was Seriously Ill After Using These Wipes

No injuries have been publicly confirmed as part of this recall announcement. But the recall covers wipes that have been on store shelves and in homes since November 2025. That is more than six months during which parents may have been using contaminated products on their babies without knowing it.

If your infant was hospitalized with sepsis, pneumonia, a bloodstream infection, or another serious condition during that time — and you used Up & Up baby wipes — it may be worth a free conversation with a lawyer. You do not need to have a confirmed diagnosis linking the wipes to the illness. You just need to describe what happened, and a lawyer who handles product cases can tell you whether there is reason to look further.