Amino Acid Formulas—otherwise known as elemental formulas—are often prescribed to infants and children that for one reason or another cannot process soy or cow’s milk based products.

Neocate is one of those elemental formulas. However, Neocate infant formula side effects may include broken bones. These broken bones could be mistaken for parental physical abuse in some cases.

The Neocate infant formula side effects are believed to be linked to low phosphate levels in the blood. Phosphate and calcium are equally important mineral ingredients that the body needs to develop and maintain a strong and healthy skeletal system.

The absorbability of phosphate is difficult for some infants and children when they are completely reliant upon an elemental formula such as Neocate for their nutritional needs.

According to an article published online last April in the Clarion-Ledger, Neocate infant formula side effects were keenly felt by a single father of a ten-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. The boy had numerous physical issues preventing normal intake of food and was completely dependent upon being fed with formula—notably Neocate formula.

Robbie E., son of Bill E., is a non-verbal ten-year-old that is normally happy and cheerful despite his disabilities. In the fall of 2017, according to the Ledger’s report, he started crying more frequently and his day-to-day personality became more somber.

Robbie seemed to hold his left arm across his chest as if to protect it from harm. When Bill E. took him to the doctor to have the situation investigated, it was found that Robbie had a broken left wrist and femur break.

Immediately, the father became the suspect of child abuse. Neocate infant formula side effects were not considered as authorities jumped to conclusions about the cause of the broken bones.

Around this time, Bill E. and his daughter were lucky enough to see some legal advertising on television spoke of possible Neocate infant formula side effects leading to broken bones. They realized this was Robbie’s sole source of daily nutrition.

When Robbie was subsequently tested, his blood work revealed hypophosphatemia (low blood phosphate) and rickets.

He was, of course, transitioned to a different food source when this diagnosis was made. Eventually, the child abuse investigation against the single father of two was then halted. Being exposed to his information saved this family from the threat of being broken up by unsubstantiated beliefs of harm.

In the April 2017 issue of the medical journal Bone, the relationship between elemental formulas and hypophosphatemia, rickets, and bone breakage was first publicly connected in a study review. The study participants included 51 babies and children with hypophosphatemia.

Scans of the infants revealed grossly under-mineralized skeletal structures in 94 percent of the group.

Almost all of the group were fed with Neocate infant formula solely for at least a period of time prior to the scan. Once the nutritional source was changed and/or supplemental phosphate was offered, the status of the individual babies and children improved tremendously.

Related: 

Does Neocate Cause Broken Bones?

Neocate Formula Side Effects Linked to Bone Injuries and Disease in Infants

What Is Hypophosphatemia?

Study Links Neocate Formula with Rickets and Bone Fractures in Infants