When it comes to the health and safety of an infant, no parent should have to worry that a product meant to help their child, such as baby formula, is causing harm. Unfortunately, improperly manufactured baby formula products can lead to severe fetal distress and even death.

If baby formula has caused your premature child fetal distress, the Michigan product liability attorneys at Fieger Law can help you hold negligent manufacturers accountable for your family’s suffering.

Why Do Premature Infants Need Formula?

Many parents of premature infants rely on baby formula to provide their newborns with adequate nutrition that supports growth and brain development.

Whereas infants carried to term usually get adequate nutrition from mother’s milk alone, preterm infants often require the nutritional fortification found in formula to compensate for the lower levels of vital nutrients in the milk of women who deliver prematurely.

Adequate nutrition is vital for premature infants who miss much of the rapid growth during the third trimester of pregnancy. Many parents rely on baby formula to provide these all-important nutrients to their child.

Issues Caused by Defective Baby Formula

Less severe side effects of baby formula, like an upset stomach, gas, or diarrhea, often occur when a baby is allergic to the dairy or soy found in specific formulas. These symptoms can be harmful but are minor compared to the life-threatening issues defective infant formulas can cause.

●     Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease that can affect premature babies fed with formula. This condition, which causes internal inflammation that can lead to bacterial infections and tissue damage, is fatal in up to 50% of all cases.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis affects about one in 1,000 infants born prematurely who are fed cow’s milk-based formula and is most common in premature babies born before 37 weeks. Babies who weigh less than two pounds at birth have the highest risk of developing NEC.

Common warning signs of NEC include lack of appetite, a tender or swollen abdomen, bloody stool, vomiting, and general sluggishness.

The link between Necrotizing Enterocolitis and the popular baby formula brands Similac and Enfamil has caused many outraged parents to file baby formula lawsuits against the manufacturing companies Mead Johnson and Abbott Laboratories. These lawsuits claim that the manufacturing companies did not adequately warn their buyers about the risk of NEC.

If your child has been diagnosed with NEC after consuming formula from these manufacturers, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Fieger Law to discuss the details of what occurred to your child after drinking contaminated formula and learn your legal options.

●     Cronobacter Infection

In rare cases, baby formula may be contaminated with a bacteria called Cronobacter sakazakii, which can cause severe and potentially fatal infections in premature infants. Babies under three months old and those susceptible to bacterial infections are particularly at risk.

A recent string of lawsuits has been filed against powdered infant formulas produced at Abbott Nutrition after a few babies developed Cronobacter infections and some died. Health inspectors from the FDA discovered the Cronobacter bacteria in several places near the Abbot factory where the affected formulas were manufactured.

Although Abbott has recalled specific formulas manufactured at the affected plant, the Cronobacter bacteria still looms large. If your child has developed a Cronobacter infection from defective baby formula, it’s not too late to get the compensation your family deserves.

Am I Entitled to Compensation?

Companies like Similac and Enfamil have not effectively warned their consumers about the risks associated with using their baby formula products. Parents whose babies have been diagnosed with Necrotizing Enterocolitis, a Cronobacter infection, or another disease after being fed defective baby formula can file a lawsuit for compensation.

You may also be able to seek compensation if the hospital fed your child defective formula while in the hospital after birth.

At Fieger Law, our product injury lawyers help clients nationwide pursue legal action to hold the manufacturers of dangerous products accountable. If your child has suffered harm from defective baby formula, you have a right to file a product liability claim to recover lost costs for your baby’s medical care and wages you missed while taking care of your sick child.

We can help you understand your legal rights and aren’t afraid to take big companies to the courtroom.

Contact Us Today

If your baby has developed any form of fetal distress after being fed baby formula for premature infants, Fieger Law’s team of product injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve. With millions of dollars already won in product liability cases alone, we don’t settle when it comes to our clients.

We accept cases across the United States, so don’t wait to reach out. Call us today for a free consultation or fill out a case submission form online to find a lawyer who will fight for you and your family.