Growing up in a family where asbestos-related cancer, lawsuits, and attorneys seemed to be the main conversation topic for a few years left a mark on me. One powerful enough to nurture an unrelenting seek of truth and justice. I spent my teenage years volunteering in hospice centers and nursing homes and I went to law school to learn how to defend the defenseless. I don’t want to become “just a lawyer” when I finish next year. I want to become a voice and an advocate for all those who need their rights protected. The articles I write for various legal magazines and online platforms are my way to inform, educate, and help people around me, just like others helped my family in their time of need.

10 Signs You Might Need To Switch Your Baby’s Formula

One of a parent’s main concerns, when they bring their bundle of joy home, is making sure their baby is adequately fed each day. Whether you choose to give your baby formula only or feed your little one with a combination of breastmilk and formula, you’ll need to pay attention to your baby’s reactions after feeding time. It will let you know if your infant shows symptoms of intolerance to the formula. If you aren’t sure whether you need a new formula for your baby, here are ten signs to look for.

1. Extremely Slow Weight Gain

Your baby should gain about 6 ounces each week. You should see a significant difference in your child from the newborn stage to the five-month mark. If you notice that your baby is not gaining weight at a steady rate, it could mean that your little one is not properly digesting their formula.

2. Bloody Stool

This alarming symptom is usually a sign that your baby is formula-intolerant. If you see that your baby’s stools are a dusty red or are bloody, you should visit your pediatrician right away. It is usually a sign that the formula has a protein that your baby cannot digest.

3. Allergy Symptoms

You may also have to consider that your baby is allergic to traditional infant formula. Milk allergies are common in babies, especially if there is a family history of milk allergy or lactose intolerance.

4. Too Much Spitting Up

It’s normal for your baby to spit up after a few feeding sessions. It is because an infant’s digestive system is not fully developed, which means that some of the baby’s food may not be completely processed in the stomach, leading to spit-up. However, if your baby is spitting up after every meal, this could be a sign that there’s an ingredient in the formula that doesn’t agree with your little one.

5. Extreme Constipation

Your baby should have at least one bowel movement a day. If your infant has not had a bowel movement in a few days, this should cause concern and could mean that you should switch formula.

6. Trouble Sleeping

Your newborn should be sleeping about eight hours during the day and around nine hours at night. If your baby is having trouble falling asleep and isn’t getting enough sleep at night, you may need to explore new formula options.

7. Weakness or Fatigue

If your baby is weak or fatigued throughout the day and doesn’t even have the energy to play or eat, they may be allergic to formula. On the other hand, your baby’s formula should make them alert and energetic due to its nutritional value. If lethargy appears after formula feeding every time, it is time to talk to the doctor. The good news would be to have to change the formula. The bad one would be an NEC diagnosis.

8. Wheezing After Eating

If your baby is wheezing during or after taking a bottle of formula, you should probably switch to a new formula. Wheezing comes from mucus congestion in the chest. See your pediatrician find out which formulas would be best for your little one.

9. Diarrhea

Frequent diarrhea is another sign that your baby is sick. While both adults and infants experience bowel problems to some extent, you should not overlook this issue. If you see this symptom after feeding your infant, you might need to get a new formula for your baby since there is something in the formula your baby’s system is not processing.

10. Fussiness After Eating

Infants can be fussy sometimes, but usually, this is a sign that they are hungry, sleepy, or need to be changed. However, if your baby is fussy after eating, this could be due to the formula. Your baby’s fussiness is their way to communicate that something isn’t agreeing with their bodies and they’re experiencing pain.

Understand NEC in Premature Babies

According to recent studies, premature babies present a higher risk of developing illnesses related to the consumption of certain baby formulas. Necrotizing enterocolitis is one of these conditions keeping the medical and legal community on their toes. The NEC symptoms include troubles feeding, swollen, red, or tender belly, lethargy, unstable or low body temperature, vomit containing bile, fussiness, and constipation or diarrhea.

If you notice such symptoms in your preemie baby, seek immediate medical attention, as NEC is a life-threatening condition.

Parents who learned the diagnosis and its connection to some brand baby formulas sold by Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson & Company started personal injury and even wrongful death lawsuits against the manufacturers. Since the companies failed to warn doctors and parents regarding the risks posed by these products, the manufacturers are liable. Across the countries, doctors and lawyers are taking an increasingly strong stand against those who risked infants’ lives by feeding them cow-milk formula.

You should contact an NEC infant formula lawyer as soon as you can if your baby has suffered discomfort or serious health issues due to consuming a certain brand of infant formula. The attorney will go over every aspect of your case and let you know whether you can hold the formula manufacturer or your pediatrician liable for the pain and suffering your baby experienced. Your lawyer will also let you know how to submit the evidence to get the compensation you deserve.

Even if you caught the problem on time and doctors managed to treat your infant, you could still pursue economic and non-economic damages. Discuss matters with a law firm specializing in NEC lawsuits to understand your options.