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NEC in Babies: Symptoms, Complications, and Damages
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What is necrotizing enterocolitis?
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common, but serious disease that causes intestinal tissue to become inflamed in babies between 2-6 weeks old. This infection can cause bodily tissue to die and leave a hole in the intestine, which can lead to life-threatening complications that often require surgery to fix.
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NEC mostly affects infants born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy. Approximately, NEC affects one out of 1,000 premature babies. Though it’s rare, full-term babies may also develop NEC if they already have an illness or pre-existing condition.
What are the symptoms of NEC in babies?
NEC symptoms can manifest in various ways, from an unusual bowel movement to a swollen abdomen in infants. Preterm babies experiencing the early stages of NEC may display some of the following signs:
- Stomach pain
- Bloated or swollen stomach
- Lack of weight gain
- Green or yellow vomit
- Diarrhea containing blood
- Refusal to drink formula or breast milk
- Unusual or excessive tiredness
- Change in bowel movement frequency
- Changes in heart rate or blood pressure
- Changes in breathing or temperature
For a premature baby between 2-6 weeks old, these symptoms can either develop suddenly or over a period of a few days. Most babies with NEC begin developing symptoms while still at their hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but it’s possible for an infant to start showing signs of NEC after returning home. However, premature babies must have been diagnosed at the NICU in order to meet NEC lawsuit qualifications.
What are some of the complications caused by NEC?
Preterm babies suffering from late-stage NEC are usually diagnosed with life-threatening medical complications that can occur during or after treatment. Some of these complications may require emergency surgery to resolve and could lead to death if not properly treated.
- Peritonitis (stomach tissue infection)
- Ascites (fluid buildup in abdomen)
- Dehydration or electrolyte imbalance
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
- Gangrene (death of tissue)
- Gastrointestinal (bowel) perforation
- Sepsis or septic shock
- Intestinal failure
- Short bowel syndrome (SBS)
- Intestinal strictures
- Neurodevelopmental impairment
- Chronic brain damage
What damages can I recover by joining the NEC lawsuit?
Treatment be very costly for families to cover, especially since some babies with NEC can deal with lifelong complications that require consistent long-term care. If your baby was diagnosed with NEC and suffered from severe medical complications, you may be able to earn compensation for one or more of the following:
- The cost of surgery and medication
- The cost of your baby’s NICU stay
- Wages lost while caring for your child
- The cost of rehabilitative therapy
- The cost of long-term disability care
- Your baby’s pain and suffering
- Your family’s emotional distress
- Your baby’s lost enjoyment of life
- The wrongful death of your baby
- The cost of funeral and burial services
Join the NEC lawsuit
If your baby developed NEC and needed surgery after being fed Similac or Enfamil infant formula, check your family’s eligibility to join the NEC lawsuit for a settlement.
Ready to file a claim ?
See if you qualify for the NEC lawsuit.
Referenced Articles
NEC Society. (2024, April 5). What is NEC? Retrieved from https://necsociety.org/nec-now/
- American Academy of Family Physicians. (2022, August). Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Family Doctor. Retrieved from https://familydoctor.org/condition/necrotizing-enterocolitis/
View more sources
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2021, December 16). Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). Retrieved from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/nec
- National Library of Medicine. (2023, April 28). Necrotizing enterocolitis. Medline Plus. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001148.htm
- Bazacliu, C., Neu, J. (2019). Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Long Term Complications. Current Pediatric Reviews, 15 (2), pp. 115–124. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2174/1573396315666190312093119
- Belkind-Gerson, J. (2023, October). Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Merck Manual. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/gastrointestinal-gi-and-liver-problems-in-newborns/necrotizing-enterocolitis-nec
- Zani, A., Pierro, A. (2015, November 30). Necrotizing enterocolitis: controversies and challenges [version 1; peer review: 3 approved]. F1000Research, 4(F1000 Faculty Rev):1373. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.6888.1
About the NEC Baby Formula Lawsuit
Products at-risk
All cows’ milk infant formulas made by Similac and Enfamil.
Who's being sued?
- Similac, by Abbott Nutrition
- Enfamil, by Reckitt and Mead Johnson
Eligible conditions for the NEC baby formula lawsuit:
- Your baby required stomach, intestinal, or bowel surgery.
- Your baby needed to undergo an ostomy procedure.
- Your baby developed sepsis, a serious and deadly infection.
- Your baby passed away because of NEC complications.
