This page is about Similac NEC baby formula lawsuits. Our attorneys and co-counsel can handle Similac lawsuits in all 50 states but we are focused on cases inside of North Carolina.
Similac is a very popular brand of infant formula that is made from cow milk and given to newborns as a substitute for human breast milk. Similac may cause an increased risk of NEC in premature Infants.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal problem that mostly affects premature babies. The condition inflames intestinal tissue, causing disease. A hole or perforation may form in your baby’s intestine. Bacteria can leak into the abdomen or bloodstream through this hole causing sepsis and perhaps death.
Similac lawsuits have been filed around the country alleging that the popular cow-milk-based baby formula has caused many premature infants to develop a serious gastrointestinal infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Tatum & Atkinson, PLLC is currently investigating potential Similac lawsuits against the formula manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, for failing to warn about the risks of NEC associated with Similac. Parents who bring a successful baby formula NEC lawsuit could receive significant financial compensation.
Medical research and clinical studies have established that giving cow milk formulas such as Similac to premature infants significantly increases their risk of a dangerous bowel infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
NEC is a very serious bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal system of infants that can cause rapid decay and death of tissue in the baby’s inner intestinal walls. NEC can develop in the small or large intestine and the necrotizing infection originates in the inner lining of the intestinal walls and eventually impacts the entire thickness of the intestine.
NEC cases range in severity. Some cases of NEC can be very mild and cause only mild discomfort. A certain percentage of NEC cases are very severe and potentially life-threatening for the baby. NEC causes severe inflammation of the bowels and pain. If not immediately treated, serious cases of NEC can cause a perforation or hole to form in the intestinal wall as the tissue dies.
If NEC causes a perforation in the intestine, it can be very dangerous and possibly fatal for the baby. The perforation allows harmful bacteria from inside the intestine to leak out into the abdominal cavity. This can rapidly progress into a widespread internal infection and eventually cause a deadly bloodstream infection called sepsis.
Recent research has conclusively confirmed that premature babies who are given Similac (or other cow-milk-based formulas) have a significantly higher risk of NEC compared to those who are fed with breast milk. Premature babies who are fed with a cow-milk formula such as Similac, are ten times more at risk for developing NEC than those fed with breast milk.
This has led the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other prominent public health organizations to strongly caution against feeding Similac or other cow-milk formulas to premature infants.
Similac is the brand name for a broad portfolio of Abbott infant formula products that it sells to provide nutrition to full-term infants, preterm infants, and infants with dietary restrictions. Some of these products are sold in retail stores but some are only available in a hospital setting.
Despite being aware of this scientific evidence, Abbott has failed to include a warning label on their Similac products cautioning doctors and parents about the increased risk of NEC associated with Similac and premature infants.
As a product manufacturer, Abbott has a legal obligation to warn about known risks and dangers associated with its product but the manufacturers are choosing not to disclose warnings because they want to make profits! formula to provide an NEC warning will lose market share.
The Similac lawsuits are just beginning but now is the time to contact an attorney if you believe your baby has been harmed by Similac. As the NEC baby formula lawsuits continue to grow it is likely that there will be a consolidation of the claims into a class action and then likely to settlements.
We are still in the very earliest stages of the Similac NEC litigation. None of the baby formula NEC lawsuits have been settled or gone to trial yet.