A St. Louis jury handed Abbott Laboratories a victory Thursday, ruling that Abbott, another company and a hospital were not liable after a boy consumed cow’s milk products intended for premature and became seriously ill.
The ruling marked the first victory for north suburban-based Abbott Laboratories and Indiana-based Mead Johnson Nutrition in their ongoing battle over claims that their cow’s milk formula for premature babies cause serious intestinal disease and should warn parents of the possible risks. Abbott and Mead Johnson face hundreds of other lawsuits over the matter.
The case decided Thursday was the third to go to trial. In the first two cases decided, juries sided with the parents and against the companies. In the first case, a jury awarded $60 million to an Illinois woman whose son died of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after consuming a cow’s milk product. In the second case, a jury decided that Abbott must pay $495 million in damages in the case of a girl who developed the disease after consuming baby formula made from Abbott’s cow’s milk. premature infants.
The most recent case was the first to go to trial in which Abbott and Mead Johnson were named as defendants. St. Louis Children’s Hospital was also accused.
“The decision reinforces what we, the medical community and regulators, have said: that nutrition products for premature infants are safe and that there is no reliable scientific evidence that they cause or contribute to causing NEC,” Abbott said in a statement after the verdict. “Abbott confirms the vital role its premature infant formula and breast milk fortifiers play in hospitals to nourish premature babies. »
Mead Johnson also said in a statement that Thursday’s verdict was “consistent with the scientific consensus that there is no established causal link between the use of specialized hospital nutrition products for premature infants and NEC, and that Where breast milk is not available or supplementation is needed, hospital premature baby nutrition products can provide essential, life-saving nutrition.
Research has shown an association between consumption of cow’s milk formula by very low birth weight infants, premature infants and a higher risk of developing NEC. But last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes for Health issued a joint statement saying, “There is no conclusive evidence that premature infant formula cause NEC. » The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that providing formula for premature infants is a “routine” and “necessary” part of care.
In this most recent case, mother Elizabeth Whitfield sued the companies and the hospital, alleging that the products were unsafe and that the companies failed to warn of the risk of NEC to premature babies who consumed these products. Whitfield’s son developed NEC as a premature baby and now has lifelong medical problems.
A spokeswoman for an attorney representing Whitfield declined to comment Friday morning.
The trial lasted about five weeks and jurors deliberated less than a day.
