What questions should I ask parents of infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) from infant formula who are part of a Multi-District Litigation (MDL)?

Questions for Parents of Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) from Infant Formula in MDL Litigation

The most important questions to ask parents of infants with NEC from infant formula focus on detailed feeding history, clinical presentation, surgical interventions, and long-term outcomes to establish causation and document the full extent of damages.

Medical History and Diagnosis

1. When was your baby born, and what was their gestational age and birth weight?
2. Were there any complications during pregnancy or delivery?
3. What was your baby's Apgar score at birth?
4. When was your baby first diagnosed with NEC, and how many days/weeks after birth did this occur?
5. What were the first symptoms you noticed before the NEC diagnosis?
6. Did your baby experience any feeding intolerance, vomiting, or abdominal distention before diagnosis?
7. Did your baby have bloody stools before diagnosis? If so, when did this first appear?
8. What diagnostic tests were performed to confirm NEC (X-rays, blood tests, etc.)?
9. Was pneumatosis intestinalis (air in the intestinal wall) present on imaging?
10. Did your baby develop intestinal perforation? If so, when?

Feeding History

1. Was your baby ever fed breast milk? If so, for how long and what percentage of feeds?
2. When was infant formula first introduced to your baby?
3. What specific brand and type of formula was your baby fed?
4. How was the formula prepared and administered (bottle, tube feeding)?
5. Were you informed about any risks associated with formula feeding for premature infants?
6. Did any healthcare provider discuss the benefits of breast milk versus formula with you?
7. Did the hospital have donor breast milk available as an alternative to formula?
8. Were you encouraged to provide breast milk or was formula presented as an equivalent option?
9. Did you receive any free formula samples or promotional materials while in the hospital?
10. Did you receive specific instructions on how to prepare and store the formula?

Surgical Interventions

1. What type of surgery did your baby undergo for NEC (peritoneal drain placement, bowel resection)?
2. How much intestine was removed during surgery?
3. Did your baby require multiple surgeries? If so, how many and when?
4. Did your baby develop short bowel syndrome after surgery?
5. Did your baby require an ostomy (colostomy or ileostomy)? If so, was it temporary or permanent?
6. How long was your baby hospitalized after surgery?
7. What complications occurred after surgery (infections, wound healing problems)?

Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life

1. Does your child have ongoing digestive problems (malabsorption, chronic diarrhea, constipation)?
2. Has your child required additional hospitalizations or surgeries related to NEC complications?
3. Does your child require special nutritional support (TPN, special formulas, tube feeding)?
4. Has your child experienced developmental delays that doctors attribute to NEC or its treatment?
5. Has your child achieved normal growth milestones or do they have growth failure?
6. Does your child have any neurodevelopmental issues (cognitive, motor, or language delays)?
7. How has your child's quality of life been affected by the NEC diagnosis and treatment?
8. What ongoing medical care does your child require related to NEC complications?

Financial and Emotional Impact

1. What were the total medical expenses related to your child's NEC treatment?
2. Have you incurred ongoing medical expenses related to NEC complications?
3. Did one or both parents have to take extended leave from work or quit jobs to care for your child?
4. What emotional impact has this experience had on you and your family?
5. What information about NEC and formula feeding do you wish you had been given before your baby was fed formula?

These questions comprehensively address the medical, nutritional, surgical, developmental, and emotional aspects of NEC cases, which are critical for establishing causation and documenting damages in MDL litigation involving infant formula 1.