Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) causes inflammation leading to intestinal tissue damage and tissue death.
If the intestinal infection causes bowel perforation, the bacteria can pass into the baby’s bloodstream leading to even more severe complications.
NEC is the most common cause of death in hospitalized premature infants more than 2 weeks old. NEC most often affects babies born prematurely or with a complication, such as a heart defect.
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If your formula-fed baby was sent to NICU with NEC, get help now.
Costs of NEC
Between 15 and 40% of babies diagnosed with NEC die from the condition, typically within hours or days.
If your baby was fed bottle formula and was subsequently diagnosed with NEC and sent to NICU, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
If this happened to you, you should talk to a lawyer because the cost of caring for a child who has been diagnosed with NEC can be astronomical.
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Treatment for NEC
NEC very rarely occurs before a baby has been fed. Formula feeding significantly increases the risk of a baby developing NEC, but formula manufacturers do not put a warning on their containers.
Treatments for NEC do not cure the condition, and infants who experience NEC will have lifelong neurological and digestive issues.
Treatment for NEC also is traumatic for the baby and family.
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- All feedings are stopped, and a doctor inserts a large tube through the baby’s esophagus and into the stomach to keep it empty.
- Antibiotics are administered.
- Providers x-ray the baby’s abdomen at regular intervals to detect abnormal gas patterns. If an x-ray shows injured intestine, a surgeon removes the dead portion of the intestine.