A tragic case has emerged involving a premature infant who suffered severe health complications after being fed cow's milk-based products. On March 19, 2025, Tameka Biggs filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Abbott Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories, Inc., alleging that their products caused her child, Kimani Biggs, to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly intestinal disease.
The lawsuit filed by Tameka Biggs accuses Abbott Laboratories of negligence and strict liability related to the design, manufacture, and marketing of their cow's milk-based infant formula and fortifiers. The plaintiff claims that these products were misrepresented as safe alternatives to human breast milk despite substantial evidence linking them to higher rates of NEC in premature infants. According to the complaint, Baby Kimani was born prematurely on August 17, 2010, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas. Shortly after birth, Kimani was fed Similac Special Care Formula produced by Abbott Laboratories and subsequently developed NEC. The plaintiff argues that the defendants failed to provide adequate warnings about the risks associated with their products and did not offer sufficient guidance on safer feeding practices for preterm infants.
The complaint references numerous studies dating back to 1990 that have consistently shown an increased risk of NEC in infants fed cow's milk-based formulas compared to those fed human milk. These studies highlight the critical importance of exclusive human milk diets for preterm infants due to their lower risk of developing NEC. Despite this body of evidence, Abbott Laboratories allegedly continued to market their cow's milk-based products as safe and necessary for infant growth without adequately warning healthcare providers or parents about potential dangers.
In seeking justice for her child’s suffering, Tameka Biggs is requesting compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 along with punitive damages under Texas law and other applicable statutes. She aims to hold Abbott Laboratories accountable for their alleged negligence and failure to warn consumers about the significant health risks posed by their products.
Representing Tameka Biggs are attorneys James E. Douglas Jr. and C. Andrew Childers from Childers, Schlueter & Smith LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. The case is identified as Case No: 1:25-cv-02883 before an unnamed judge in the Northern District of Illinois court.