Abbott Ordered to Pay $53M in Infant Formula Lawsuit, Reports Say

• NEC is a bowel disease affecting premature newborns with a mortality rate exceeding 20%; the four children in this case, born between 2012-2019, survived but require ongoing medical care and three needed surgery
• Trial results have been mixed: previous juries awarded significant damages in Illinois and Missouri cases (both appealed), while defendants won one Missouri trial and several cases were dismissed in federal court
• Nearly 1,000 lawsuits target Abbott (Similac) and Mead Johnson/Reckitt (Enfamil) over specialized hospital formulas, with over 700 centralized in Illinois federal court; a 2024 NIH report suggested NEC is associated with absence of breast milk rather than formula exposure

Summary: Abbott Laboratories Faces $53M Verdict in Infant Formula Lawsuit

A Chicago jury on Thursday ordered Abbott Laboratories to pay $53 million in compensatory damages to families who alleged the company failed to warn that its formula for premature infants can cause necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially fatal bowel disease. The jury will reconvene Friday to determine punitive damages.

Key Case Details:

• The verdict involved four consolidated families whose children were born in Chicago-area hospitals between 2012 and 2019
• All children developed NEC and survived, though three required surgery and all face ongoing health problems
• NEC, which causes bowel tissue death, primarily affects premature newborns and has a mortality rate exceeding 20%

Broader Litigation:

Nearly 1,000 lawsuits have been filed against Abbott (maker of Similac) and Mead Johnson/Reckitt (maker of Enfamil). Over 700 cases are centralized in Illinois federal court, with others pending in Missouri and Pennsylvania state courts.

Mixed Trial Results:

• 2024: St. Clair County jury ordered Mead Johnson to pay damages for a death case (under appeal)
• 2024: St. Louis jury ordered Abbott to pay damages (under appeal)
• October 2024: Companies won a Missouri trial, but the judge ordered a retrial citing improper conduct by defense lawyers
• March 2025: Florida judge dismissed a case, finding additional warnings wouldn't have changed doctors' decisions

Company Position:

Abbott denies its products cause NEC, maintaining they are essential when mothers cannot produce sufficient breast milk. A 2024 NIH report suggested the absence of breast milk, rather than formula exposure, correlates with increased NEC incidence.