Health Journal Online

Tag: Died

  • Infant Formula Makers Were Required to Tell the FDA When Babies Died — Records Show They Never Did

    Infant Formula Makers Were Required to Tell the FDA When Babies Died — Records Show They Never Did

    When makers of infant formula learn that babies have become seriously ill or died after using their products, federal regulations require them to notify the FDA. But in a major investigative finding published July 2, 2026, KFF Health News revealed that the FDA has no record of a single such notification from any formula manufacturer going back more than 26 years.

    That gap in the federal safety record is not because premature infants haven’t died. According to a KFF Health News analysis of federal data, approximately 2,300 newborns died from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in the United States between 2017 and 2023 — roughly one per day. A wave of more than 1,700 lawsuits has alleged that formula made by Abbott (Similac) and Mead Johnson (Enfamil) caused or contributed to these deaths by triggering NEC in premature infants, and that manufacturers knew about the elevated risk without adequately warning parents or physicians.

    Why This Matters

    Federal regulations give infant formula manufacturers substantial discretion in deciding whether and when to notify the FDA that a product may have contributed to a serious adverse event. According to KFF Health News’s investigation, that discretion has translated to zero notifications — even as hundreds of lawsuits proceeded through the courts and testimony from company executives confirmed that internal records of adverse events existed and were investigated internally.

    The practical consequence is significant: parents harmed by formula have been fighting Abbott and Mead Johnson in court, with no government notification system creating an independent safety record. Families who lose a premature infant to NEC are not informed that other families have reported the same outcome to the manufacturer. And the FDA — which does not pre-approve infant formula before it reaches the market — has had no formal mechanism to detect a pattern of harm tied to specific products.

    What We Know So Far

    From KFF Health News’s FOIA investigation published July 2, 2026, and court records cited in the report:

    • Under the Freedom of Information Act, KFF Health News asked the FDA for all notifications from formula manufacturers since January 1, 2020. The agency’s Human Foods Program responded: “did not receive any.”
    • KFF Health News extended the request to January 1, 2000. The FDA responded: “After a diligent search of our files, we did not locate any responsive records.”
    • John Wallingford, a paid expert witness for Abbott, testified in Missouri court in October 2024 that “Abbott had never reported a single death under any regulation for preterm infant formula.”
    • Courtney Colombo, who identified herself in a March 2024 deposition as Abbott’s director of postmarketing medical safety and surveillance, testified she knew of no instance in which Abbott had reported to any regulatory authority anywhere in the world that one of its preterm infant formulas was possibly related to a NEC death.
    • An Abbott internal document from 2010, displayed in deposition video clips obtained by KFF Health News, stated that NEC “is the most severe GI complication of prematurity and the use of bovine milk-based fortifiers and formulas are believed to be the primary risk factor.”
    • A Mead Johnson marketing slide deck from 2020 — later used in trial — outlined a plan for “Branding NICU Babies,” a strategy to capture preterm infant feeding contracts through hospital relationships.
    • As of late January 2026, approximately 1,760 NEC lawsuits were pending against Abbott alone.
    • About 2,300 newborns died of NEC in the U.S. from 2017 through 2023, the equivalent of nearly one per day. The database does not attribute causation.

    Where the System Fails Families

    The regulatory framework governing infant formula reporting gives manufacturers the authority to determine whether adverse events — including deaths — meet the threshold requiring FDA notification. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, which are subject to rigorous post-market surveillance and mandatory serious adverse event reporting with specific timelines, infant formula operates under a framework in which reporting is largely at the manufacturer’s discretion.

    The FDA does not approve infant formula products before they reach market. It does not license formula labeling for safety claims. And, according to the KFF Health News investigation, its Human Foods Program received zero death notifications from formula makers across a 26-year window — even as internal company documents confirmed the companies were tracking NEC-related complaints internally.

    This creates a structural gap: a manufacturer can investigate an adverse event internally, close the file internally, and the FDA may never receive a notification that allows it to identify a pattern of harm.

    What the Companies and Agencies Say

    Abbott spokesperson Scott Stoffel stated in November that “Abbott complies with all applicable FDA regulations on adverse event reporting, including by keeping detailed records of every single complaint/adverse event report Abbott receives and investigating NEC complaints.”

    The FDA stated in a 2024 joint statement with the CDC and NIH that there is “no conclusive evidence that preterm infant formula causes NEC.” Abbott’s chief executive has publicly said that claims linking preterm formula to NEC are “without merit or scientific support.”

    However, courts have repeatedly found in favor of families suing Abbott and Mead Johnson. A Chicago jury awarded $53 million to four families in April 2026, and a separate Chicago verdict in the same month awarded an additional $70 million. A Missouri appeals court upheld a $495 million verdict against Abbott. As of June 2026, approximately 798 federal NEC cases remain pending in multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of Illinois, with hundreds more in state courts.

    What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not

    The scientific debate over whether bovine (cow’s milk-based) formula causes NEC in premature infants versus the absence of human milk increasing NEC risk is ongoing and genuinely contested. The FDA, CDC, and NIH have stated there is no conclusive causal evidence. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends human milk — including pasteurized donor milk — for premature infants when the mother’s own milk is not available.

    What is not contested is the reporting record: the FDA received no death notifications from formula manufacturers going back to 2000, and Abbott’s own expert witness confirmed the company made no such reports.

    MedicalDaily Evidence Check

    • Investigation type: FOIA requests + court record analysis (KFF Health News, published July 2, 2026)
    • What it found: Zero FDA death notifications from formula manufacturers from January 2000 through the present; Abbott’s expert witness confirmed Abbott never made a single death report under any regulation for preterm formula
    • What it did not prove: That the formula directly caused the deaths — this remains contested between companies and plaintiffs
    • Regulatory context: FDA does not pre-approve infant formula; adverse event reporting for formula is largely at manufacturers’ discretion
    • What readers should know: The regulatory gap in formula death reporting is confirmed by FOIA records; families of premature infants have been fighting manufacturers in court without a government notification system creating an independent safety record

    Who Is Most Affected?

    This issue affects:

    • Parents of premature infants currently in NICUs who are receiving cow’s milk-based formula or fortifiers
    • Families who have experienced a premature infant death from NEC and may not know there is a reporting gap at the regulatory level
    • NICU clinicians and hospitals whose informed consent discussions about formula feeding may not have reflected the manufacturer’s internal awareness of NEC-related adverse events
    • Policymakers and advocates working on infant formula regulation reform

    Symptoms of NEC in Premature Infants

    Necrotizing enterocolitis typically develops in premature infants two to four weeks after birth, often around the time feedings begin. Warning signs that require immediate evaluation by the neonatal team include:

    • Sudden abdominal swelling or rigidity
    • Feeding intolerance after previously tolerating feeds
    • Bloody stool
    • Temperature instability
    • Lethargy or decreased responsiveness
    • Skin discoloration over the abdomen

    If your premature infant is in the NICU, ask the neonatal team specifically about NEC risk and what the protocol is for early detection.

    What You Can Do Now

    • If your premature infant is currently in a NICU, ask the neonatologist whether your baby is receiving human donor milk or cow’s milk-based formula, and what the facility’s protocol is for NEC monitoring.
    • Ask about your baby’s NEC risk based on gestational age and birth weight — infants born before 32 weeks and those under 1,500 grams face the highest risk.
    • Inquire about human milk availability at the facility. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends human milk — including pasteurized donor milk — as the preferred nutrition for very premature infants.
    • If your premature infant previously suffered NEC while receiving cow’s milk-based formula, you may wish to consult a legal professional about your options. As of June 2026, active multidistrict litigation is proceeding in the Northern District of Illinois.
    • Report adverse events through the FDA’s MedWatch program if you believe a formula product contributed to a serious adverse event in your infant.

    Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know

    Human donor milk is more expensive than cow’s milk-based formula, and insurance coverage varies. NICU families should ask the billing department and the neonatology team about donor milk access and coverage. Many NICUs absorb donor milk costs for the highest-risk infants.

    For families who believe their infant was harmed by formula, legal consultations are typically offered at no upfront cost by firms handling NEC formula litigation. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network NICHD page on NEC and infant feeding provides a recent scientific overview of the evidence.

    What Happens Next

    The KFF Health News investigation is expected to prompt renewed regulatory scrutiny of infant formula adverse event reporting requirements. The ongoing multidistrict litigation will produce additional bellwether trials in 2026 that may increase pressure on Abbott and Mead Johnson to consider broader settlements.

    Congress has shown some interest in strengthening formula safety oversight following the 2022 Abbott infant formula shortage and contamination recall. Whether the KFF Health News reporting prompts legislative action on adverse event reporting requirements remains to be seen.

    The Bottom Line

    The FDA received zero death notifications from infant formula manufacturers going back to the year 2000, according to FOIA records obtained by KFF Health News — confirmed by Abbott’s own expert witness, who testified the company never made a single such report for preterm formula. Approximately 2,300 premature infants died of NEC in the U.S. between 2017 and 2023. The combination of those two facts is not proof of causation — but it is a documented regulatory gap that left families fighting for accountability in court with no independent government safety record to draw on.

    Source link

  • Hulk Hogan May Have Died Due to Medical Malpractice

    Hulk Hogan May Have Died Due to Medical Malpractice

    Hulk Hogan’s tragic passing at the age of 71 has brought severe questions into play, especially of a possible calamitous medical mistake in one of his operations. His wife, Sky Daily, revealed that what happened during Hogan’s latest surgery could have been due to a pressing issue.

    Is there really medical malpractice behind his death?

    A Key Concern in Hogan’s Surgery




    Sky Daily told TMZ Sports that Hogan’s phrenic nerve was “compromised” in his surgery, a revelation that has raised alarms regarding its effects on his health. Phrenic nerves are responsible for regulating the diaphragm, making them critical to breathing. A damaged phrenic nerve would result in grave breathing complications, which may have led to Hogan’s unexpected health emergency.

    As the Cleveland Clinic states, the phrenic nerve’s primary function is to control the diaphragm, and damage to it can result in breathing difficulties. Hogan allegedly ceased breathing in his Clearwater, Florida, residence, and an emergency call was made.

    Autopsy and Medical Uncertainty Surrounding Hogan’s Death

    An autopsy was performed, but its findings have not been released to the public. The death of Hogan, which was originally ruled as having been caused by a heart attack, is now being reviewed in the context of the phrenic nerve damage.

    Rumor has it that in the course of the operation, the surgeon unknowingly cut this vital nerve, which could have caused Hogan to breathe improperly when his life hung in the balance.

    An occupational therapist who was with Hogan when he lost his breath told the police that the nerve was injured during the procedure. This evidence, as attested by bodycam videos, as per TMZ, has left many unanswered questions about whether Hogan received proper medical attention when he was alive.

    The Family’s Pursuit of Answers

    Brooke Hogan, daughter of the deceased wrestling star, has spoken out about her skepticism concerning her father’s death. She has questioned the conditions of the surgery and has even offered to pay for a second autopsy to be more informed.

    Sky Daily confirmed last month that Hogan’s cremation had been put on hold amidst doubts regarding his medical procedures. The cremation has still not been conducted, with the family still trying to get some answers.

    Shocking Claims Made by Medical Professionals

    The New York Post reported that Brooke Hogan made some Instagram posts detailing that she had received disturbing phone calls from professionals who said they had witnessed the events preceding her father’s death.

    They include police officers and nurses who have reportedly made claims to Brooke that they feel can change the course of Hogan’s death. They are calling for her to watch body cam videos and 911 recordings, thinking that they could hold the key to truly understanding what occurred.

    Brooke pointed out that these individuals, some of whom are risking their own careers, have been dogged in their attempt to bring justice to Hogan. Their need to uncover the truth about the procedure and its potential effect on his death has grown stronger with each passing day.

    Originally published on sportsworldnews.com

    Source link

  • Anti-Vaxx Mom Whose Daughter Died From Measles Says Disease ‘Wasn’t That Bad’

    Anti-Vaxx Mom Whose Daughter Died From Measles Says Disease ‘Wasn’t That Bad’

    The parents of an unvaccinated Texas child who died from measles appeared in a video formulated by an anti-vaccine advocacy group where they railed against vaccines, even saying the disease “wasn’t that bad.’

    A 6-year-old Texan died after contracting measles last month, marking the first death of a child in the U.S. caused by the highly contagious illness in nearly a decade.

    Following her death, the anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense met with the child’s parents, whose four other children also suffered from milder cases of the same illness, as reported by Mother Jones.

    During the interview, the young couple doubled down on their decision not to vaccinate their child even after her death. Hailing from the Mennonite community, they argued that if measles patients had access to untested treatments, the MMR vaccines would be entirely unnecessary.

    “We spent the morning at Dr. Ben Edwards’ clinic, and the parents are all still sitting there saying they would rather have this than the MMR vaccination because they’ve seen so much injury, which we have as well,” journalist Polly Tommey said while interviewing the couple. “Do you still feel the same way about the MMR vaccine versus measles and the proper treatment with Dr. Ben Edwards?”

    “Absolutely [do] not take the MMR [vaccine],” said the mother. “The measles wasn’t that bad. [The other children] got over it pretty quickly. And Dr. Edwards was there for us.”

    The parents described the symptoms of the illness their child exhibited, beginning with a fever, respiratory symptoms and the notorious rash that often accompanies it. However, days after contracting the illness, the child’s fever continued and respiratory symptoms worsened as she began struggling to breathe.

    The girl’s parents took her to a hospital emergency room where she was admitted and diagnosed with pneumonia. After being placed on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit, the child passed away.

    The measles outbreak in Texas has spurred many public and political figures to take to their platforms and encourage residents to get vaccinated and vaccinate their children. This includes Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously promoted anti-vaccine views.

    RFK Jr. published an op-ed in Fox Digital earlier this month acknowledging that the decision to vaccinate is a “personal one”, but encouraging people to vaccinate to mitigate the spread of the disease regardless.

    “Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons,” he wrote earlier this month.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

    Source link

  • Woman Collapses, Vomits Blood After Weight Loss Jabs: ‘I Could’ve Died’

    Woman Collapses, Vomits Blood After Weight Loss Jabs: ‘I Could’ve Died’

    A UK mother of four who turned to weight loss jabs to shed her baby weight now warns others it’s not worth the risk after collapsing and vomiting blood.

    The 43-year-old, already following weight loss diets, weighed 171 lbs when she decided to try the injections to look slimmer. Now, she realizes the dangerous gamble could have left her children without a mother, Manchester Evening News reported.

    Gill Riley from Cheshire, England, was determined to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight and was constantly on several weight loss diets. But when she felt the diet plans were no longer working, she decided to take GLP-1-class weight loss injections which she obtained from a friend who had purchased them from an online pharmacy.

    Within just three months of starting the injections, Riley experienced a dramatic weight loss of 18 lbs. By the end of December last year, she began feeling unwell, but she thought it was just the flu. However, everything took a terrifying turn on December 26th when Riley collapsed, vomiting blood. She was immediately rushed to the emergency room, facing a life-threatening situation. The doctors found her body resembled someone with anorexia, and blood results showed that she had very low levels of potassium and sodium.

    Riley was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on antibiotics, which she believes was a result of her weakened immunity caused by the weight loss jabs. During her hospital stay, she was treated with IV drips and supplements to help restore her health before getting discharged.

    Although Riley has now recovered from the emergency, she needs further tests to evaluate if she has developed any permanent kidney damage.

    After her terrifying ordeal, Riley is now urging other women to seriously consider the health risks before using weight loss injections. “Just because I wanted to be skinny, I could have died and left my kids with no mum because I felt like I had to look a certain way and I don’t,” she said.

    “People need to be aware that it’s not as simple as taking a skinny jab and everything goes smoothly, you need to think of the risks that are involved with it,” she added.

    Source link

  • Mystery Disease Claims Dozens of Lives, Including Children Who Died After Eating a Bat

    Mystery Disease Claims Dozens of Lives, Including Children Who Died After Eating a Bat

    More than 50 people have died in the northwest Democratic Republic of Congo from a mystery illness that first appeared in three children who ate a bat.

    The disease has an alarming fatality rate, infecting at least 419 people since its outbreak on January 21, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and local doctors. Many victims die within 48 hours of showing symptoms, as reported by the Associated Press.

    “That’s what’s really worrying,” Serge Ngalebato, the medical director of Bikoro Hospital, told AP.

    The outbreak began in the town of Boloko after three children reportedly consumed a bat and died shortly afterward from hemorrhagic fever symptoms. A second outbreak followed in the nearby town of Bomate on February 9.

    Samples from 13 cases have been sent to Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, but tests for Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers, such as Marburg, have so far come back negative. Some patients tested positive for malaria, but its connection to the illness remains unclear.

    Congo has battled an overlapping series of disease outbreaks, including typhoid, malaria and mpox. The most recent mpox outbreak surged to 47,000 suspected cases and is thought to have caused over 1,000 deaths. Another unidentified flu-like illness killed more than 143 people in 2024 before health authorities determined malaria was the likely cause, CBS News reported.

    Zoonotic diseases—illnesses that jump from animals to humans—have long been of concern to health officials, particularly in regions where wild animals are commonly consumed. WHO has reported a 60% increase in such outbreaks in Africa over the past decade.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

    Source link

  • Texas Woman Who Briefly Died After Rare Delivery Room Complication Has No Memory of Giving Birth to Triplets

    Texas Woman Who Briefly Died After Rare Delivery Room Complication Has No Memory of Giving Birth to Triplets

    A Texas woman retained no memory of giving birth to triplets, including the 48 to 72 hours leading up to the delivery, after being clinically dead for about 45 minutes post-birth.

    Tomball resident Marisa Christie gave birth to triplets in late August, during which she faced multiple pregnancy-related complications causing her to flatline multiple times in just 45 minutes.

    “It was the toughest moment of my life going from the most beautiful experience in seeing our baby girls for the first time to ‘oh my gosh my wife is—they’re doing CPR on her’. I just remember going to the restroom and collapsing on the ground expressing myself to God,” said her husband, Dylan Christie, who had been in the delivery room at the time of the births.

    Marisa, who had already had one son before giving birth to triplets, miraculously survived the ordeal. According to her Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician, Dr. Amber Samuel, Marisa survived a rare post-birth complication called amniotic fluid embolism, a condition with a mortality rate of 80%.

    “Some exposure that causes the mom’s body to react like a really bad allergic reaction. I think they call it like 7.7 cases on 100,000,” Dr. Samuel said.

    Dylan made the call for Marisa to be administered a hysterectomy, which ultimately saved her life. However, when she recovered and woke up, she had no recollection of the delivery or the days leading up to it.

    “My family took lots of photos and videos of me when I was in the hospital, which helped a lot to kind of have reality hit,” Marisa said.

    The family has set up a GoFundMe in order to cover Marisa’s medical costs.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

    Source link

  • Texas Doctors Forced a Miscarrying Woman to Wait Nearly 2 Days Before Receiving Treatment. She Died of a Preventable Infection

    Texas Doctors Forced a Miscarrying Woman to Wait Nearly 2 Days Before Receiving Treatment. She Died of a Preventable Infection

    A woman in Texas reportedly died from a preventable infection because doctors “had to wait until there was no heartbeat,” according to state law, before treating her for a miscarriage at 17 weeks. She left behind a husband and 1-year-old daughter.

    At 17 weeks pregnant, Josseli Barnica was taken to a Houston hospital where doctors told her it was “inevitable” that she would miscarry her son. However, according to ProPublica, they had to wait 40 hours to remove the fetus, leaving her uterus exposed to infection, until there was no heartbeat due to the state’s abortion ban.

    During that time, Barnica prayed she would make it home to her 1-year-old “princess,” but she died the next day with her husband by her side, leaving him to raise his daughter as a single father while most of their family remained in Honduras.

    More than a dozen medical experts, including maternal-fetal medicine specialists, OB-GYNs, and researchers, said Barnica’s death was “preventable.” They also labeled her case as “horrific,” “astounding,” and “egregious,” ProPublica reported.

    Barnica died at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, which would not comment directly on her case to ProPublica, but HCA Healthcare stated, “Our responsibility is to be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” adding that physicians exercise their independent judgment.

    Originally published by Latin Times

    Source link