Certain cow’s milk-based baby formulas have been linked with the potentially fatal condition known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
NEC is an intestinal disease affecting mostly premature or preterm infants that involves the intestines becoming inflamed, causing intestinal tissue to die. About one in every four infants who develop NEC eventually die from it. It appears that human milk may contain sugars, which baby formulas lack, that can reduce the risk of NEC development.
Lawsuits now accuse the makers of these baby formulas of knowing that their formulas can cause NEC but fail to warn the public about this danger.
You may be wondering which baby formulas are involved in these lawsuits. This article will go into detail about what baby formulas are involved in NEC lawsuits.
The two brands of baby formula that have been implicated in NEC lawsuits are Similac and Enfamil. There are many varieties of Similac and Enfamil, including:
• Similac
• Similac Alimentum
• Similac Alimentum Expert Care
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier Concentrated Liquid
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier Hydrolyzed Protein Concentrated Liquid
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier Powder
• Similac Liquid Protein Fortifier
• Similac NeoSure
• Similac Pro-Advance
• Similac Pro-Sensitive
• Similac Special Care
• Similac Special Care 20
• Similac Special Care 24
• Similac Special Care 24 High Protein
• Similac Special Care 30
• Enfacare Powder
• Enfamil
• Enfamil 24 Cal
• Enfamil 24 and DHA u0026 ARA Supplement
• Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier
• Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Acidified Liquid
• Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Liquid High Protein
• Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Powder
• Enfamil Milk Fortifier Liquid Standard Protein
• Enfamil NeuroPro Enfacare
• Enfamil Premature 20 Cal
• Enfamil Premature 24 Cal
• Enfamil Premature 24 Cal/fl oz HP
• Enfamil Premature 30 Cal
NEC is a disease of the intestines that typically affects preterm or premature infants. NEC involves intestinal inflammation leading to the death of intestinal tissue. The intestine can’t hold waste once its tissue dies, and this lets bacteria into the abdominal cavity and abdomen of the baby.
About one-quarter of babies who develop NEC die.
NEC’s symptoms include:
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Inability to gain weight
• Refusal to eat
• Lethargy
• Green or yellow vomit
• Bloody diarrhea
• Abdominal discoloration
• Abdominal distension
• Blood pressure, body temperature, breathing, and heart rate changes
• Hypotension
• Peritonitis
• Intestinal perforation
It is not known what the exact cause of NEC is. However, cow’s milk-based baby formulas like Enfamil and Similac have been linked with NEC:
• Researchers found in 1990 that exclusively formula-fed babies were six to 10 times more likely to develop NEC than babies who were fed breast milk only.
• Researchers found in 2007 that over three times more infants who were given less than 50 percent human milk developed NEC compared to infants given more than 50 percent human milk.
• Researchers found in 2014 that over three times more infants given cow’s milk-based formulas developed NEC compared to infants given breast milk only.
• Researchers found in 2016 that over twice as many infants given breast milk fortified with preterm formula and/or bovine fortifier developed NEC compared to infants given only breast milk.
A 2018 article noted that complex sugars found in human breast milk called oligosaccharides might reduce NEC development risk.
Other risk factors for NEC that have been consistently described include prematurity, low birth weight, and intestinal dysbiosis.
The underlying mechanism behind NEC is thought to involve a combination of intestinal infection and poor blood flow.
You may be eligible to recover financial compensation for numerous damages in an NEC lawsuit, such as:
• Mental health treatment
• Medical bills
• Child caregiving
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Loss of the enjoyment of life
• Lost business opportunity
• Lost profits
• Lost revenue
• Burial/funeral expenses
• Wrongful death
• Lost earning capacity
The NEC attorneys at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers are contingency fee lawyers. This means that we don’t charge our clients a fee unless and until we recover financial compensation for them. In other words, we don’t charge a fee if we don’t win your case.
Our only fee is a percentage of any financial compensation we obtain for you, and we will charge you nothing if we don’t obtain any money for you. We will put this promise in writing for you.
If you believe your child is suffering from symptoms of NEC after being fed Enfamil or Similac baby formulas, you may be eligible to file an NEC lawsuit against the manufacturers. We can help you build an individual case or join ongoing mass tort litigation.
Contact Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers Today
Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation if your child developed NEC after being fed Similac or Enfamil formula. Our experienced, expert defective product lawyers will let you know if you qualify to file an NEC lawsuit and, if so, how much your case may be worth.
