Concerns are raised over possible Neocate hypophosphatemia as research suggests that the baby formula may not promote good infant health as advertised.

Neocate is a hypoallergenic baby formula typically used for babies who suffer adverse reactions to other baby formulas. It’s typically given to babies who cannot tolerate milk or soy. It has recently been tied to cases of malnutrition.

Last year, a father in Mississippi was suspected of child abuse when his baby had several broken bones, according to a Clarion Ledger article. Child Protective Services investigated. The father realized, however, that the child’s broken bones could be connected to his use of Neocate elemental formula, when he learned of the formula’s connection to rickets.

This wasn’t the only time that babies who were fed Neocate reportedly suffered broken bones.

Neocate and Phosphate

Neocate is an amino acid-based elemental formula, and a recent study linked use of the formula to bone deficiency. 

Phosphate is a mineral that is essential to bone formation. Many people may not know that phosphate is just as important as calcium in bone health. Phosphate must be properly absorbed to help bone health, and though phosphate is present in Neocate, the study suggested that in infant formulas like Neocate, the phosphate was not able to be absorbed properly by babies who consumed it.

This lack of absorption is reported to have negatively impacted the infants’ bone development. Allegedly, Neocate is connected to dangerously low bone density, because healthy bone density is achieved with proper minerals, including phosphate and calcium. Neocate has been linked to a range of health problems related to bone development, including:

• broken bones
• rickets
• skeletal deformities
• stunted growth
• nutritional deficiencies
• hypophosphatemia (low blood phosphate levels)
• long-term skeletal damage

Unfortunately, a range of Neocate products may be associated with bone problems, including their infant formulas, Neocate Nutra, Neocate Junior (with and without probiotics) and Neocate Splash.

Complications from Neocate Use

Many parents whose children are facing problems like rickets and broken bones may think that the broken bones are due to common accidents or the rickets are caused by a predisposition or other factors, when in fact, these problems may be linked to Neocate use. A skilled lawyer can help parents determine if their child’s health problems may be connected to Neocate use, and if they may have a legal claim.

In fact, a study in the April 2017 issue of Bone noted that 94 percent of infants studied who had been diagnosed with a deficiency of phosphorous, or hypophosphatemia, had also suffered problems like those associated with Neocate hypophosphatemia, like broken bones, rickets, and other conditions. Allegedly, this study noted that in all of the cases in which the condition appeared, all infants had been fed a diet solely consisting of Neocate formula.

Neocate is reportedly advertised as a formula that “supports normal growth and development,” but unfortunately, studies suggest otherwise, and parents may worry that the company intentionally put babies at risk for the sake of their own profits.

Consumer advocates suspect that the makers of Neocate may have sold the product despite evidence that it could harm babies. They suspect the company may have misrepresented the products as safe and effective while knowing this was not the case.