Baby Formula Lawsuits
As the parent of a newly born premature baby, you have enough on your plate already. The last thing you need to worry about is toxic baby formula that could harm or possibly kill your child.
Traditionally, baby formula has always been recommended by doctors for premature babies to help with their initial low birth weight and early development. Recent evidence advises this approach may no longer be safe for prematurely born children. Scientific studies show that some cow-milk-based baby formula products like Enfamil and Similac can cause an increase in digestive diseases. These increased risks are dangerous to newborns because of life-threatening diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
If your family has been impacted by toxic baby formula that has harmed your child, contact us for a free consultation. Our Ohio Defective Products attorneys have the proper experience, information, and resources to help you hold the responsible party accountable for their negligent actions. Take the first step and call Tittle & Perlmuter today for baby formula lawsuits.
See If You Qualify for a Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit
What is NEC?
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a digestive disease that affects the intestines of premature infants. The bacteria invade and erode the intestine lining, forming holes that cause infection and inflammation that can destroy the bowel (intestine) wall. This type of destruction can cause perforation of the intestine and stool spillage into the infant’s abdomen, which can lead to an overwhelming infection and death.
What Causes NEC?
There are currently many theories to explain why NEC mostly affects premature infants, but the exact cause of NEC is still unknown. Prematurity and formula feeding are the only two consistent observations made in infants who develop the disease. Premature infants have immature intestines and lungs. Because their lungs cannot oxygenate blood adequately, any decrease in oxygen delivery to their intestines will damage the intestinal wall’s lining. This kind of damage to the bowel wall allows bacteria that live inside the intestine to invade the wall and cause local infection and inflammation (NEC) that can lead to rupture or perforation of the intestine.
Do I Qualify for a Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit?
The case criteria for a Baby Formula lawsuit includes:
- Premature birth (24-35 weeks)
- NEC diagnosis
- Child was given formula/fortifier prior to NEC diagnosis
- Birthweight less than 1500g
- Born after 2012
Why Should I File a Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit?
Many innocent families have had to endure the pain and loss of losing their child to this digestive disease caused by toxic baby formula. Some manufacturers fail to follow the proper safety standards and end up putting the consumer in harm’s way. Manufacturers like Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson & Company have even failed to include this life-threatening risk to the warning label of their products.
Because they have failed to warn parents of the formula’s potential health risks, parents nationwide have unknowingly given it to their prematurely born children. This negligence is especially unacceptable when the lives of newborn children are at risk. Through education, awareness, and fighting these negligent manufacturers, we can hold them accountable and help protect future families from loss and suffering.
If you believe that a toxic baby formula product has harmed your child, contact our Product Liability lawyers for free information and a free consultation. Give us a call today.
What is the Baby Formula Settlement?
When you take legal action against negligent manufacturers and their unacceptable behavior, you can help send a message within the industry. You can also recover compensation for some of the damages you’ve experienced like:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of life/enjoyment
How Dangerous is NEC?
Although most infants survive this digestive disease and grow up to live normal lives, serious cases of NEC can cause death in premature infants. Even some children who survive NEC will have digestive health problems in the future that are related to the disease.
Every year, NEC affects approximately 9,000 infants – one in 2,000 to 4,000 births or 1-5% of neonatal intensive care unit admissions. The disease is rare in full term infants but occurs in almost 10% of premature infants. Children born under 3.25 pounds and who are fed formula in their early life are the most at risk.
What are the Signs of NEC?
Most of the symptoms for this digestive disease are internal, but concerned parents should have the medical professional in charge of their child’s care monitor for the following:
- Abdominal pressure/pain
- Swollen, red, or tender stomach area
- Diarrhea
- Abnormal breathing patterns
- Low blood pressure
- Unusual or rapid changes in temperature
What Baby Formula Products are Connected to NEC?
A scientific study has found that some cow-milk-based formula products, mainly Enfamil and Similac, cause an increased risk of digestive diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in prematurely born infants. The following affected products and baby formulas have been linked to NEC:
- Similac (Similac Special Care 20, Similac Special Care 24, Similac NeoSure, Similac Special Care 30, Similac Special Care 24 – High Protein, Similac Liquid Protein Fortifier)
- Enfamil (Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier, Enfamil NeuroPro EnfaCare, Enfamil 24 Cal)
- Best Organic Baby Formula
- Pro-Advance Baby Formula
- Up&Up Infant Formula
- HappyBaby Organic
If your family has any of these listed products at home, we recommend that you find safer options to help protect your child.
Can Enfamil & Similac Baby Formula Cause NEC?
Cow-milk-based baby formula products like Enfamil and Similac are more likely to develop NEC in infants than other baby formulas. Doctors and medical professionals recommended formula as a safe alternative to break milk for premature babies until a study found that premature infants who were fed formula were 6-10 times more likely to suffer from NEC. Even though this data has been around for almost a decade, the manufacturer of Enfamil still failed to list the risks of dangerous digestive disease on the warning labels of their products.
Has Enfamil Baby Formula Been Recalled?
No. The FDA has not recalled Enfamil baby formula from store shelves yet, even though it has several risks for developing children. This dangerous formula can still be purchased across the United States, which is why it’s vital to help educate parents of the risks so they do not unsuspectingly feed a toxic product to their child.
Contact Tittle & Perlmuter for Baby Formula Claims
No one should ever have to suffer the loss of a child. Especially, when that pain and loss is because of someone else’s negligence. We are here to help. Baby formula manufacturers like Similac and Enfamil have failed to follow proper safety standards prior to the sale of their products, and their actions are illegal. We are here to hold them accountable and prevent future loss. No legal action can reverse the pain or fill the void of a child, but we can help you get the compensation you’re entitled to for the hardship you’ve endured and that will help you recover financially.
If your child has developed health concerns because of their baby formula, contact us today for support, resources, and a free consultation.
