Abbott Labs to face trial on infant formula

A trial is set to begin on Wednesday in Chicago in a case brought by four families who allege that baby formula made by Abbott Laboratories caused their premature infants to develop a dangerous bowel disease.

The trial in Cook County circuit court is the latest of hundreds of lawsuits accusing Abbott of failing to warn that its cow's milk-based formula products for preterm infants can cause a potentially deadly disease called necrotising enterocolitis, or NEC.

Abbott, which declined to comment on the trial, has denied that the formula causes NEC and says the products are essential for premature babies when their mothers cannot produce enough breastmilk. A lawyer for the plaintiffs declined to comment.


The children, who were born in Chicago-area hospitals between 2012 and 2019, developed NEC but survived, according to their lawsuits. Three required surgery, and all live with ongoing health problems, according to the filings.

The trial, which begins with jury selection on Wednesday, consolidates the families' four separate lawsuits and is expected to last several weeks.

Nearly 1,000 lawsuits have been filed against Abbott, which makes Similac formulas, and Enfamil manufacturer Mead Johnson, a unit of Reckitt.