Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious illness in a newborn where tissue in the large intestine gets inflamed. While any newborn can contract NEC, it is more common in premature babies. Particularly, higher rates of this deadly illness are found in babies who are fed cow milk-based formula.
Let’s take a look at some common questions you may have about NEC.
Article Contents
Why Are Premature Babies Fed Formula?
Breast milk is infused with all the nutrients a baby needs to grow. However, there are a number of reasons why a preemie may be fed formula. The new mom may be unable to produce milk or may have a low milk supply. An alternative to breastmilk is donor breast milk, but that can be difficult and expensive to purchase. Moreover, premature babies also struggle to latch.
In such cases, specialized infant formula is a suitable alternative that provides preterm babies with all the necessary nutrients.
How Is NEC Diagnosed?
Typically a medical professional will examine your baby for a swollen belly, green or yellow vomit, lack of weight gain, and other NEC symptoms. They may also conduct blood tests, fecal tests, and x-rays to determine the condition. Avoid delays since this condition progresses quickly.
How Serious Is NEC?
NEC strikes suddenly and progresses rapidly. From abdominal pain to lack of weight, this illness comes with serious symptoms. NEC can also lead to abdominal infection, short bowel syndrome, and intestinal stricture, among other complications.
Your child may be fed through an intravenous tube and given antibiotic therapy to manage the symptoms of NEC. In advanced cases, surgery may be required to treat the condition.
In severe cases, NEC can be fatal. It is the leading cause of death among very low birth weight infants.
Are There Ways To Reduce the Risk Of NEC?
Feeding infants breast milk can considerably reduce the risk of them developing NEC. Understandably, that’s not always possible. In such cases, look for suitable infant formula. It would be best to discuss this with your healthcare professional.
What’s the Prognosis For NEC?
An average of 8 in 10 babies survive NEC. That said, NEC may lead to long-term health issues for some infants.
Did your baby develop NEC after being fed Enfamil or any other formula? You may be thinking about filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer and healthcare professionals responsible for feeding your baby cow’s milk-based formula.
Being a new parent is challenging. Along with taking care of your newborn, now you also have to navigate a baby formula lawsuit to receive fair compensation from responsible parties. Here are some helpful tips for filing a lawsuit and finding a qualified lawyer for your case.
Do Your Research
Several parents of premature babies are suing manufacturers of Similac and Enfamil. This lawsuit claims manufacturers failed to provide an adequate warning about the harmful effects of cow’s milk-based formulas. It would be helpful to learn more about this ongoing lawsuit.
You are not alone if your baby developed NEC after being fed Similac or Enfamil baby formula. Look into these lawsuits and try to get in touch with others going through the same thing.
Find a Qualified Attorney
Filing a lawsuit against a powerful manufacturer and medical professionals is not easy. You need a qualified and compassionate lawyer by your side to fight the case and receive fair compensation for everything you’ve been through.
Look for a skilled attorney with extensive experience in personal injury law and medical malpractice. It’s best to go with a licensed lawyer working on a contingency fee basis. This means if you lose, you don’t have to pay the lawyer’s fee.
Take Care of Yourself
Watching your child in pain and going through surgery can be upsetting and stressful. Moreover, this difficult time can also be financially and emotionally draining for your family. You may experience feelings of anger, guilt, and other adverse emotions.
You should remember that you fed infant formula to your premature baby because it’s supposed to provide them with all the essential nutrients. Also, you trusted medical professionals to do what’s best for your child. You cannot blame yourself if your child is diagnosed with NEC.
This challenging time can take a toll on your mental, physical and emotional health. We urge you to take care of yourself and rely on your support system.
The Bottom Line
If you were unaware of the harmful effects of cow’s milk-based formula, it would be best to involve an experienced attorney to file a lawsuit. A dependable attorney will help you file an infant formula lawsuit and hold negligent manufacturers and healthcare providers responsible.
