Legal Battle Over Formula's Link to Baby's Illness Heights Concerns

A Missouri mother and her legal team are taking a St. Louis hospital and formula manufacturers to court, claiming their products caused her premature son to develop a severe intestinal illness. This case is part of wider litigation with previous large verdicts against the companies. Doctors are concerned about the potential loss of essential products.

In a closely watched trial commencing this week in St. Louis, a Missouri mother and her legal team will attempt to convince a jury that formulas made by Abbott, Reckitt's Mead Johnson, and St. Louis Children's Hospital caused her premature son to develop a severe intestinal illness. The court case is part of broader litigation, which includes prior verdicts amounting to $60 million against Reckitt and $495 million against Abbott. Nearly 1,000 similar cases remain pending nationwide.

Plaintiffs in these cases argue that feeding cow's milk-based formula to premature infants, especially those weighing under approximately three pounds, significantly increases their risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition with a fatality rate exceeding 20%. They also claim that the companies failed to fulfill their legal duty to warn parents and physicians about this risk.

Despite assurances from Abbott and Reckitt that their products are indispensable for premature infants, and amid fears from doctors over losing access to essential nutrition sources, the litigation continues. Anxieties have been fueled by recent statements hinting at potential withdrawal of these formulas from the market. However, recommendations from the NEC Society and various neonatologists emphasize the necessity of formula under specific conditions and stress the importance of increasing access to mother's milk and pasteurized donor milk.

(With inputs from agencies.)