In a gripping legal battle that could have significant implications for the infant formula industry, a complaint has been filed against a major corporation over allegations of severe health risks associated with their products. On April 4, 2025, Julie Chevelon and Will Richard Chevelon filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Abbott Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories, Inc., accusing them of causing life-threatening conditions in premature infants through their cow’s milk-based infant formula.
The case centers around Baby Chevelon, who was born prematurely on February 11, 2006, at DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia. Shortly after birth, he was fed Abbott's cow’s milk-based products and subsequently developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a dangerous intestinal disease. The plaintiffs argue that Abbott Laboratories misrepresented their products as safe alternatives to breast milk despite knowing the increased risk of NEC associated with cow’s milk-based formulas. The lawsuit alleges that these products were defectively designed and marketed without adequate warnings about the potential dangers to preterm infants.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $75,000, claiming negligence and strict liability on the part of Abbott Laboratories. They assert that the company failed to provide sufficient warnings or instructions regarding the use of their products with preterm infants. "Defendants did not warn parents or medical providers of the risk of NEC in preterm infants," states the complaint. The lawsuit also highlights numerous studies dating back to 1990 that demonstrate a strong link between cow’s milk-based formulas and NEC, suggesting that safer human milk-based alternatives exist but are overshadowed by aggressive marketing campaigns from companies like Abbott.
Julie Chevelon seeks compensation for Baby Chevelon's ongoing medical expenses resulting from his condition. Additionally, they demand punitive damages under Georgia law and other applicable laws due to what they describe as intentional and reckless conduct by Abbott Laboratories. They argue that despite knowing about the risks associated with their products, Abbott continued to market them aggressively without proper disclosure of potential side effects.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys James E. Douglas Jr. and C. Andrew Childers from Childers, Schlueter & Smith LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. The case is being presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:25-cv-03635.