DR. ESTHER CHUNG: Right now we've
been be assured by the formula companies,
like the major ones--
Similac, Enfamil, or Gerber--
that there's adequate supply.
It's just that there's been increased demand,
because like toilet paper people are buying extra supply
and stocking it at home.
So I just want to reassure everybody that there is not
a national shortage of formula.
It's just that perhaps the local grocery
stores may not currently be able to keep up with the demand.
What we found, particularly with some families
that can't necessarily afford formula,
is that they might tend to try to stretch it out
by diluting it.
And we would say that that's not safe,
particularly for young infants, because it wouldn't give them
the proper nutrition and it could cause health problems.
The other thing that families have used
are alternatives like goat's milk.
And goat's smoke can be associated with deficiencies
in vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, and iron,
so we would not recommend that.
Please don't make your own formula.
I think there have been a number of recipes online,
and we definitely would want you to not do that
for your younger infants.
In addition, there are formula sales
on eBay and other social platforms,
and we can't really trust the safety of that.
So we would recommend not doing that as well,
Some things that families can consider
is maybe going with a different brand.
So there are a number of stores that have their own store
brand, and when you look at the label
they're often very similar to the kind of bigger name brands.
And so families could consider that.
We would say not to necessarily think too creatively
about alternatives, particularly for instance less than four
to six months.
But for older infants, you could definitely
get a little bit creative and start
to make your own pureed foods at home.
But I would say for the younger infants,
we definitely don't want any formula substitutes per se.
The other thing that people have tried
is taking pureed foods that they've made at home
and put them in a little ice cube trays.
That way they can freeze these little mini meals
and pull them out for later use.
And we would still recommend sticking to the AAP guidelines
of not introducing solids until after four to six months.
We just want families to be careful with foods
that have a lot of fiber.
So for example, if you're going to boil some broccoli
and you're going to try puree that, you have to remember
if you're using the stalks you might
want to put it to a stranger before you do that,
In pediatrics, we're there to serve and help families,
and we just want to let families know that we're there for them.
And they can always reach us by phone,
and we're also starting to do telehealth visits
as another way.
And we really do like and enjoy hearing from families
so that we can help them meet their needs
and connect them to resources.
ELIZA LAGERQUIST: As much as we love our favorite formulas,
there are lots of equivalent formulas
out there on the store shelves.
Look for one that's made in the US.
And it can be beneficial to call your pediatrician
or your pediatrician's office and ask for a recommendation
for an equivalent product.
They usually will have lists of equivalent products.
Formulas are specially made for infants,
and they're broken down in particular ways
and put together in particular ways
as to be nutritious for babies.
So just make sure you're using an actual infant formula that's
made specifically for infants.
If it is an emergency and you run out,
contact your local WIC office.
We'll often have samples on the shelves.
I know that the food banks are keeping formula in stock.
It might not be the one you're used to,
but that could be another--
if you're running out of funds and supplies,
that can be another source.
Just try to stay calm.
I know we're all kind of on edge a lot of the time.
But the shortages are not going to be long term.
They're just a kind of a transitional
if you're not seeing your particular formula
on the shelf.
So look for it somewhere else.
you try to order it online.
Ask for alternatives.
Those are definitely kind of the calming mechanisms
that I'd use.