A jury in St. Louis, USA, on Friday ordered Abbott Laboratories to pay $495 million (nearly €456 million) for concealing the risks of drinking baby formula called Similac Special Care 24.
The case was brought by Margo Gill, whose daughter Robynn, who was born prematurely, had drunk this milk. The girl developed the disease NEC, a serious intestinal inflammation. The baby is also said to have suffered brain damage.
More than 1,000 such damage claims have been filed in the US against Abbott and other baby formula manufacturers.
The company’s attorney argued in its defense that the baby must have had health problems before drinking the milk. A company spokesman said Abbott Laboratories strongly disagreed with the jury’s verdict, which was also not unanimous, and that the company would do everything in its power to overturn the verdict.