A federal judge handed Abbott Laboratories another win this week in its yearslong battle over the safety of its formulas for babies born prematurely — a decision that could have implications for hundreds of other cases .

In the case, Deondrick Brown Sr. and Rebekah Etienne alleged that Abbott’s formula for premature babies was “unreasonably dangerous” and caused their son, Deondrick Brown Jr., to develop the intestinal disease necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) that led to his death.

Their son was born 24 weeks into his mother’s pregnancy, but because his mother was unable to produce breast milk, he was fed fortified donated breast milk for about two months, according to an opinion and order issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer.

Doctors then began transitioning the ba

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