Neocate is an amino acid-based baby formula meant for children with allergies who are unable to tolerate regular forms of baby formula. For children who are unable to consume regular formulas made from milk or soy, Neocate baby formula may be an essential part of their diet. The company sells several varieties of the hypoallergenic baby formula for infants and children.

Although Neocate may be a necessary meal replacement for infants and children with food allergies, there are several dangerous side effects linked to the formula, including effects on baby bones.

What are the Side Effects of Neocate?

Many dangerous side effects have been linked to Neocate baby formula. These side effects mostly affect the bones and may include:

• Rickets, a condition that causes soft and weak bones
• Skeletal deformities
• Stunted growth
• Broken bones and fractures
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Low blood phosphate levels
• Long-term skeletal damage

According to a study conducted by Yale University and the Mayo Clinic, the phosphate found in Neocate may not be well absorbed by the children who are fed the formula. This may lead these children to have dangerously low phosphate levels.

Phosphate may be as important for bone health as calcium. Low phosphate levels can cause problems including low bone density. This weakens the bones and may make it easier for them to fracture or break.

The link between low phosphate levels and Neocate formula was documented in a 2017 article published by the journal Bone, which found that 51 children at 17 institutions who were fed Neocate diets had extremely low levels of phosphate. When their diets were changed, the children’s phosphate levels normalized.

Are Baby Bones Easy to Break?

Baby bones are already delicate, and Neocate may make them even weaker, according to recent studies. Babies who are fed a Neocate diet may be at risk of bone fractures or breaks from normal activities and movements. Parents who feed their infants a Neocate diet may want to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of Neocate-related injuries.

What are the Symptoms of Broken Baby Bones?

Symptoms that your baby may have a broken bone include:

• Bruising
• Tenderness
• Severe pain in one spot
• Pain with movement
• Stiffness
• A limb that appears bent or out of position

What Kinds of Fractures Can Children Get?

Other than a potassium deficiency, a number of medical issues may result in bone fractures in children.

In some cases, an injury may occur during birth that can result in a bone fracture, explains Science Direct. The most common bone fracture that occurs as the result of vaginal delivery is a broken clavicle, and the second and third most common form of vaginal delivery fractures are to the femur and humerus, explains Science Direct.

This kind of fracture is most common during complicated deliveries, such as when twins are being delivered, in a breech delivery (a delivery in which a baby is positioned backward), or when a baby is delivered prematurely.

HealthyChildren.org explains that broken bones are very common among children, and are the fourth most common injury among children under six. They most commonly occur because of falls, as children are still gaining coordination.

The site offers the encouraging fact that children’s bones absorb shock more easily than adults’ because young bones are more flexible and have a thicker covering than older bones. Additionally, children’s fractures rarely require surgery, and usually heal in just a cast, if they are immobilized.

Most fractures in children are not a fracture all of the way through the bone, though this can occur. Most fractures in children are “greenstick” fractures, in which the bone bends and breaks only on one side, or “torus” fractures. In a torus fracture, the bone is not broken, but is twisted and weakened. This also occurs because of the flexibility of children’s bones.

HealthyChildren.org goes on to say that though children are resilient in the face of many fractures, one kind of fracture specific to children can be particularly damaging — growth plate fractures. In some fractures, the growth plate may be damaged. The growth plates are at the end of the bones and are responsible for regulating future growth. Fractures in the growth plate can heal properly, but if they do not heal properly, the bone’s future growth may be affected. Unfortunately, this kind of damage is often not discovered for more than a year after the injury. 

Who is at Risk?

In addition to the risk of damage to children and their skeletal systems, parents of children who take Neocate as a meal supplement or replacement may also be at risk. In at least one case, injuries caused by Neocate were mistaken for signs of child abuse.

According to the Clarion Ledger, a Mississippi father of a ten-year-old boy with cerebral palsy was accused of child abuse by Child Protective Services after the boy was taken to the hospital with unexplained fractures. He was later cleared after his daughter saw a television ad warning of the possible bone damage associated with Neocate use.

If your child has suffered from bone damage including fractures, breaks, or weakening due to their Neocate diet, you may be able to hire an experienced attorney and file a Neocate lawsuit against the manufacturer. Victims who file lawsuits may be able to hold the company accountable for its allegedly defective formula, as well as collect damages for injuries, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.