Update on NEC Litigation

Specialized preterm nutrition products for premature babies provide essential, lifesaving nutrition to the most vulnerable infants when mother’s or donor milk is unavailable or insufficient. We stand behind the safety and efficacy of our preterm nutrition products, which neonatologists recommend when clinically appropriate as a part of the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Claims by plaintiffs’ lawyers that these products cause NEC are not supported by the science or the medical consensus and are irresponsible.

As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) noted in response to the verdict, “the causes [of NEC] are multifaceted and not completely understood. Our science does not tell us exactly how to prevent it.”

Moreover, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the NEC Society noted the importance of NICU clinicians’ continued access to preterm nutrition products to feed premature babies and have emphasized that feeding decisions should be made by doctors and families in hospitals – not in courtrooms. We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against plaintiff lawyers’ allegations in the interest of safeguarding the health of premature babies".