Jury Deliberating in Cook County Case Over Abbott Laboratories' Formula for Premature Babies

The four cases are being widely watched, with potential implications for both the company and families of babies born prematurely across the country.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 11:04pm

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Four babies born at Chicago-area hospitals developed a dangerous intestinal disease because they consumed a special formula for premature infants made by Abbott Laboratories, an attorney for the children's mothers told a Cook County jury Wednesday, while a lawyer for Abbott argued that the formula did not cause the babies to fall ill. The jury began deliberating shortly after closing arguments Wednesday afternoon.

Why it matters

The four Cook County cases are being widely watched, with potential implications for both the company and families of babies born prematurely across the country. The cases are among more than 1,700 lawsuits Abbott faces across the country over whether its cow's milk-based formula for babies born prematurely causes a disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), in which tissue lining the intestine becomes inflamed and dies.

The details

The four lawsuits were filed in 2022 by Illinois mothers Antonia Mendez, Casie Thompson, Kara Sharpe and Eboni Williams, whose babies were born before 32 weeks gestation at Chicago-area hospitals between 2012 and 2019. The babies were all fed a specialized formula offered in hospitals for premature babies called Similac Special Care. Attorneys made their closing arguments to the jury Wednesday, with the plaintiffs' attorney arguing that the formula is unreasonably dangerous and Abbott failed to adequately warn about the risks, while Abbott's attorney maintained the formula did not cause the babies to develop NEC.

  • The four Cook County cases went to trial together in April 2026.
  • The jury began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon after closing arguments.

The players

Antonia Mendez

An Illinois mother who filed one of the four lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories.

Casie Thompson

An Illinois mother who filed one of the four lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories.

Kara Sharpe

An Illinois mother who filed one of the four lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories.

Eboni Williams

An Illinois mother who filed one of the four lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories.

Abbott Laboratories

The company that manufactures the Similac Special Care formula for premature infants, which is at the center of the lawsuits.

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What they’re saying

“We're here because these kids did not have to develop NEC. We're here because these kids did not have to suffer. We are here because of Abbott.”

— Sean Grimsley, Attorney for the mothers

“The scientific evidence has shown that these kids were born prematurely, they had a number of other conditions, and, as a result, even without a drop of formula, these kids were going, unfortunately, to develop NEC.”

— Hariklia Karis, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis representing Abbott

What’s next

The jury will continue deliberating and reach a verdict in the four Cook County cases against Abbott Laboratories.

The takeaway

The outcome of these four cases could have significant implications for Abbott Laboratories and the families of premature infants across the country, as they are part of a larger wave of lawsuits over the company's formula and its potential link to a deadly intestinal disease.