About two dozen families in Florida said their babies got sick after drinking formula made at the Abbott Nutrition Plant in Sturgis, Michigan. They are represented by attorney Sam Geisler, who noted that experts have been able to vet the cases and are working on more.
Two of those families that Geisler is representing are based in Pensacola. He said many of these cases go back months, or even years, before this past February when Abbott issued a recall for its products that were possibly contaminated during production at the Sturgis facility.
Geisler explained to 10 Tampa Bay that it was after media coverage that the parents connected the dots and have since reached out to his office, saying, "You have families across this country, possibly in the Tampa region, that saw their child gets sick, not knowing surely it wasn't a formula because they follow the letter of the law and the regulations."
Families blame Abbott for children's sickness
Geisler added that families are committed to quality and safety and the building of this product, but they are also blaming themselves for getting their babies sick and asking what could they have done differently?
Geisler said the thing driving a lot of the calls they are getting now is what could they have done to avoid their children being sick? They now know why it went south for them, and it was because of the factory. He added that the families face five or six-figure medical bills after their kids were treated for everything from Cronobacter infections to Salmonella and E. coli.
A spokesperson for Abbott Nutrition countered those claims, though, telling CNN that all of their products are tested for such infections. The spokesperson issued a statement, saying, "As part of Abbott's quality processes, all infant formula products are tested for Cronobacter sakazakii, Salmonella, and other pathogens, and they must test negative before any product is released."
The spokesperson added that no distributed product from their Michigan facility has tested positive for the presence of either Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella and that they believe these lawsuits are without merit.
Abbott restarted production at the controversial Michigan plant
The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed four cases of cronobacter, a rare bacteria, linked to baby formula produced at the Abbott's Michigan facility. It usually involves formula when babies have it as it is picked up from dry foods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did say that parents can accidentally transfer the bacteria to the bottles from surfaces like the kitchen counter. Geisler said that it is also possible for the formula to carry that same bacteria from the manufacturer.
Abbott has already restarted production at the Michigan baby formula plant that has been closed for months due to contamination. According to the Associated Press, it is a major step toward easing a nationwide supply shortage that is expected to persist into the summer.
