A year after the American Academy of Pediatrics called out "questionable marketing practices" by manufacturers of older infant and toddler formula, Abbott Laboratories is being sued over the way it markets such products.

Illinois-based supplement group Abbott misled parents and other caregivers about the nutritional value of its high-sugar toddler milk, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) against the maker of Similac formula.

Toddler formula, marketed to children aged 12 to 36 months, is described as the next step in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved infant formula that outgrows small children. However, unlike infant formula, toddler milk products are not regulated by the FDA and are potentially harmful, according to PHAI, a nonprofit legal research center at Northeastern University School of Law.

According to the lawsuit filed by PHAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, national sales of toddler milk average more than $500 million per year.

"Dairy products for young children are not only unnecessary, they can actually be harmful to children's nutritional health," said George Fuchs, a physician and professor of pediatric gastroenterology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. "Added Sugar increases young children's preference for sweet foods, which can lead to obesity and other health risks throughout their lives," said Fox, who led the American Academy of Pediatrics' report on milk for young children.

Abbott's "Go & Grow Toddler Drink by Similac" and "Pure Bliss Toddler Drink by Similac" are labeled similarly to FDA-regulated infant formula and are sold on the same store shelves and are labeled "Phase 3," meaning They are the next nutritionally recommended products, after "Phase 1" infant formula and "Phase 2" transition formula, the lawsuit says.

"Common toddler milk marketing practices, including unsubstantiated nutrition-related claims and packaging that looks like infant formula, mislead parents and other caregivers into believing that toddler milk provides nutritional benefits to young children," said Jennifer, senior research advisor. Dr. Harris said. Marketing campaign of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut.

American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts Recommended for children 12 months and older Give water and pure milk.

Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.