Some baby formula manufacturers like Mead Johnson & Company and Abbott Laboratories are facing a number of baby formula lawsuits after premature babies developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). These lawsuits allege the manufacturers of Similac and Enfamil didn’t adequately warn that the cow’s milk-based formulas could lead premature babies to develop or die from NEC.
NEC is a severe gastrointestinal problem that mainly affects premature babies. The health condition inflames intestinal tissue, causing it to die, and it can lead to a hole (perforation) forming in a baby’s intestine. These perforations can allow bacteria to leak into the abdomen or bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Parents involved in these lawsuits claim the formula makers failed to adequately warn parents of the dangers of feeding the cow’s milk-based infant formulas to their babies, putting them at increased risk for the intestinal disease, despite studies going back as far as the early 1990s that showed a possible link between some cow-based baby formulas and NEC.
About 1 in 4 babies needs surgery to remove dead intestinal tissue and repair holes caused by NEC. Fortunately, an estimated 8 in 10 babies with NEC survive, but some of these babies will have long-term health problems from the gastrointestinal problem.
If your baby drank Similac or Enfamil and developed NEC, you may be entitled to compensation. Some types of compensation you may be able to recover include medical bills, surgery costs, lost wages if you couldn’t return to work as a result of your infant’s condition, other financial losses, pain and suffering (including emotional and mental), and possibly punitive damages, if appropriate.
Contact the infant formula lawsuit lawyers at Phillips Law Group for a free consultation to help determine if you have a qualified case. Your information will remain confidential, and you don’t owe us anything unless we take on your case – and win. Give us a call to learn more.
