Parents across the United States are suing Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson & Company, alleging that premature babies who were fed certain cow’s-milk baby formulas developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening neonatal intestinal disease affecting premature infants. They also allege that the companies failed to adequately warn parents about the risk of NEC that has been linked to their products. Abbott manufactures the infant formula Similac, and Mead Johnson manufactures Enfamil.