If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks) and developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after feeding on a cow’s milk-based product like Enfamil, it is time to seek justice. Filing a claim against Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, Enfamil’s manufacturer, allows you to seek compensation for damages suffered. The company is liable for its failure to warn parents, and healthcare providers about the high risk of NEC preemies face when they consume a bovine-based formula.

Affected parents across the United States have filed lawsuits following the injuries or death of their premature babies. The lawsuits seek to hold Enfamil makers accountable for their negligence. A competent product liability attorney can provide the much-needed legal counsel to ensure you understand your legal rights and options for pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Enfamil Lawsuits

According to advertisements, Enfamil is organic milk designed to nourish babies with high-quality nutrition. The formula is packed with essential nutrients like Vitamin D and proteins necessary to ensure proper nourishing of rapidly growing babies. It does not contain growth hormones, corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial colors and flavors.

Even though everything about the advertisement is legit, the company has deliberately failed to mention the life-threatening connection between their product and NEC, mainly when fed to premature babies.

Parents in all 50 states are filing infant formula lawsuits. These lawsuits accuse Mead Johnson Nutrition Company of failing to provide adequate warnings, leading to the injury and death of premature infants. Parents and medical staff could have avoided the cow’s milk-based formula if the product label had informed them about the increased risk of NEC in preemies.

If your baby suffered harm or wrongful death after consuming Enfamil, you have a right to fight for justice. With the help of a skilled product liability attorney, you can join the mass tort against Enfamil manufacturers and hold them accountable for the damages suffered. Make sure you choose a law firm that has the time, and resources needed to fight a winning case against a billion-dollar company.

The Dangers Posed By Enfamil Baby Formula

Enfamil baby formula is a perfectly balanced product beneficial to full-term babies. However, it poses life-threatening risks when fed to preemies. Premature babies are better off when exclusively breastfed because the mother’s milk contains all the essential enzymes, fats, and nutrients. Human milk alone is nutritious enough to ensure healthy organ development and a strong immune system. When breastfeeding is impossible, premature babies can get nourished from donor milk or safe formulas specially designed for preemies.

Studies show that premature babies have more significant nutritional needs than full-term babies. They need at least 40% more calcium, calories, proteins, and nutrients to finish their skipped growth when they are delivered too early. All body parts grow rapidly, including the brain, eyes, and intestines, hence the need for enhanced nutrition.

It is common for neonatal intensive care units to supplement a mother’s milk with a human milk fortifier. This could be:

  • Cow’s milk-based formulas

  • Donor breast milk

Cow’s milk-based fortifiers have been used for years. However, people are more informed, and studies have confirmed that the products increase the risk of complications, especially to premature babies. Some of these complications, including NEC, are life-threatening because premature babies have trouble processing cow milk proteins.

Unfortunately, Enfamil manufacturers have not taken any steps to inform consumers about the increased risk of health complications when preemies consume a bovine-based formula. The company continues to sell products using labels that contain no warnings. Parents and caregivers innocently feed premature infants with the formulas, exposing them to the risk of NEC, highly-invasive treatments, and possible death.

The Connection between Enfamil and NEC

A study conducted in 2020 revealed that roughly 10% of babies born in the U.S. are premature. The infants that survive have a high likelihood of suffering from concerns like:

  • Breathing difficulties

  • Feeding problems

  • Developmental delays

  • Vision and hearing problems

The families of preemies undergo heavy financial burdens. The overall situation can also have an emotional toll on them, especially when the infants have to spend weeks or months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Medical experts can introduce fortified formulas to ensure proper nutrition for accelerated growth and development and give the babies maximum survival chances.

Products like Enfamil blend a range of proteins, vitamins, and nutrients that can boost the growth of preemie or low-birth-weight babies. However, they also contain cow-milk proteins that premature infants have difficulty processing. This drastically increases the threat of developing NEC.

NEC Defined

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a potentially deadly disease that affects the intestines. Even though the ailment can also affect full-term babies, it mainly attacks premature infants with underdeveloped lungs or a weak digestive and bowel system. An infant faces the highest risk of infection during the first two weeks of life, especially when fed on baby formula instead of the mother’s breast milk.

A severe NEC infection is potentially fatal because it causes extensive inflammation that can cause multisystem organ failure. Studies show that 5% to 12% of preemies develop the infection, where 20% to 40% of the infants require highly-invasive surgery to remove the damaged or dead intestinal tissues. 25% to 50% of NEC patients succumb to the infection.

The Long-Term Effects of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)

When a baby fed on Enfamil develops NEC and survives, it could still face health complications in the future. Some of the long-term health concerns allied with NEC include:

  • Neurodevelopmental delays

  • Gastrointestinal problems

  • Cholestasis

  • Strictures of the bowel

  • Intestinal failure

  • Short bowel syndrome

Because of the overall impact of NEC on a baby, immediate care alone is not enough to ensure their optimal health in the future. Families have to incur recurrent medical expenses because of the long-term effects of the ailment. Often, surgical intervention is necessary to address severe concerns like bowel strictures and short bowel syndrome.

If your child has developed NEC after feeding on Enfamil, joining the mass tort against Mead Johnson Nutrition Company is imperative. Seeking compensation gives you the chance to recover the medical expenses necessary to ensure excellent health care services for your baby in the long term. You have a right not to absorb the financial blow on your family caused by the negligence of Enfamil manufacturers. A simple warning on their product label would have prevented the medical expenses, pain, and suffering.

Who Is Liable If My Child Develops Necrotizing Enterocolitis

The exact cause of NEC is still unknown. Even so, studies have shown that certain aspects drastically increase the risk of an infant developing a life-threatening disease. For instance, feeding on a cow’s milk-based formula exposes preemies to a high risk of contracting the ailment, especially during the first weeks of life.

Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, Enfamil’s manufacturer, owes consumers the duty of care. The company can exercise its duty of care by warning consumers of the risk of feeding preemies with the product. From a legal standpoint, Mead Johnson is liable for damages resulting from its failure to warn of the dangers of using Enfamil.

Numerous studies conducted over the past few decades establish the connection between NEC and bovine-based formulas. Mead Johnson knew about this link for decades, yet the company chose its profits over ensuring the safety of product consumers.

Past Enfamil Lawsuits

Enfamil, among other cow’s milk-based products, are still in circulation. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is yet to recall the products despite their high potential of causing NEC. This is because the baby formulas are beneficial to infants, just not prematurely born babies.

The NEC lawsuit is just one of the litigations Mead Johnson has faced. The infant formula multi-billion dollar company has over the years faced the following lawsuits:

In 2006, Enfamil was recalled for allegedly containing metal particles that potentially lead to throat and lung damage or infection

Following the death of three babies, Enfamil faced a lawsuit in 2012. The families of the babies accused the company of circulating a product contaminated with the deadly Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria.

In 2017, a whistleblower accused Enfamil of using defective packaging that increases the risk of product contamination.

Enfamil faced yet another lawsuit in 2017 where a mother sued the company for distributing formula that contained insects. The lawsuit alleges that contamination happened during the manufacturing process.

Find an Enfamil Lawsuit Attorney Near Me

Going against a powerful, multi-billion dollar company is no easy feat. The infant formula giant is bound to have a strong defense team that will throw all manner of arguments to have a judge dismiss the NEC claims. Fortunately, Consumer Alert Now has the resources needed to fight on behalf of the plaintiffs nationwide and give them maximum winning chances. We are dedicated to ensuring the affected families do not receive one dime less than their deserved compensation. Our in-depth understanding of the physical, emotional, and financial impact of battling NEC gives us the motivation needed to fight for justice on behalf of the affected preemies. Call our firm at 800-511-0747 for a no-fee consultation and case evaluation.