A grieving mother has taken legal action against a major corporation, alleging that their infant formula led to the tragic death of her premature baby. On April 4, 2025, Chideya Parham filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Abbott Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories, Inc. The lawsuit centers around the company's cow's milk-based infant formula and fortifier products, which Parham claims caused her child to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe intestinal disease.
The plaintiff, Chideya Parham, is suing Abbott Laboratories on behalf of herself and as the personal representative of her deceased child, Dakota Johnson. Born prematurely on January 31, 2009, at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore, Baby Johnson was fed Similac Special Care 20 formula by hospital staff. According to the lawsuit, this product significantly increased the risk of NEC—a condition characterized by inflammation and injury to the gut wall that can lead to necrosis and perforation. Tragically, Baby Johnson developed NEC shortly after birth and succumbed to the disease on February 21, 2009.
Parham accuses Abbott Laboratories of negligent and wrongful conduct in connection with their cow's milk-based products. The complaint alleges that despite scientific evidence linking these products to higher rates of NEC in preterm infants with low birth weights, Abbott continued to market them as safe alternatives or even superior substitutes for human breast milk. The lawsuit references numerous studies from reputable sources such as The Lancet and The Journal of Pediatrics that have demonstrated the dangers associated with cow's milk-based formulas for premature infants.
In addition to claims of negligence and strict liability due to design defects and failure to warn consumers about potential risks, Parham seeks punitive damages against Abbott Laboratories. She argues that the company acted with conscious disregard for public safety by continuing to sell these dangerous products without adequate warnings or instructions for use. Furthermore, she contends that Abbott engaged in misleading marketing practices aimed at persuading healthcare providers and parents about the safety and necessity of their products.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for medical expenses incurred before Baby Johnson's death; special damages related specifically towards wrongful death claims; punitive damages intended as punishment against defendants' actions deemed intentional/wanton; along with any other applicable legal remedies available under Maryland law & Illinois statutes like ILCS 5/2-6041 among others.
Representing Chideya Parham are attorneys James E. Douglas Jr., C. Andrew Childers from Childers Schlueter & Smith LLC based out Atlanta Georgia while presiding over this case will be judges assigned within Northern District Illinois jurisdiction where it has been filed under Case ID: 1:25-cv-03630