- [Shopper] Absolutely ridiculous.
- [Reporter] A months-long shortage
of baby formula in the US,
caused by a mix of supply chain issues and a recall,
is putting desperate parents on edge
as they scramble to find ways to feed their babies.
- For those babies who are not being breastfed
or otherwise getting human milk,
formula is the only alternative,
and it provides all of their nutrition.
- [Reporter] So what can parents do now?
And more importantly, what should they avoid?
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- Definitely do not water it down or make your own formula.
These are dangerous
and there's simply no safe way to do those.
- [Reporter] Dr Steven Abrams,
a former Chair of the Committee on Nutrition
at the American Academy of Pediatrics says that,
similar to breast milk,
baby formula contains protein and nutrients
that are crucial to a child's development and growth,
such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.
- [Dr Abrams] When you make your own,
you can't get the nutrients right
and it's hard to do it in a way that's sterile enough
to make sure that you're not risking infection.
When you dilute the formula,
you're simply giving the baby extra water
that they don't need,
and they're filling up their tummy with water and not food.
It's what they need to grow.
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It's okay to switch baby formulas,
unless your baby has special medical needs.
- [Reporter] Experts say it's safe
for most healthy babies to switch
to any FDA-approved formula parents can find
from reputable distributors.
The American Academy of Pediatrics warns
against buying formulas on auction sites
that are not monitored or regulated by the FDA.
- [Dr Abrams] Babies who have specialized problems,
especially those with severe allergies,
families need to talk to their pediatrician
before they switch.
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- [Reporter] As major retailers like CVS, Walgreens,
Kroger and Target impose purchase limits on baby formula
to avoid panic buying and hoarding products,
experts recommend checking smaller local stores
and pharmacies.
- I've seen it, for example,
in stores that only sell kosher food,
because they make the specialized kosher formula.
Sometimes you'll find it in smaller stores
that you might not expect to find it in.
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- [Reporter] At least 31 milk banks in the US and Canada
are collecting donations from lactating women
and distributing pasteurized milk.
These members of
the Human Milk Banking Association of North America
are currently helping families facing difficulties due
to the formula shortage.
- [Dr Abrams] The problem is that most
of that milk goes for premature babies,
so there isn't a whole lot left for the general use,
but as long as the milk is pasteurized, it's quite safe.
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- [Reporter] Although the CDC says parents
who want to give their children cow's milk should wait
until after the infant's first birthday,
Dr Abrams says this can be a last resort option
for babies older than six months, in case of an emergency.
- For short periods of time,
a week, two weeks of time,
you can use whole cow milk if your baby's not allergic.
- [Reporter] Dr Abrams says parents should talk
to their pediatricians about getting an iron supplement
for babies who are on cow's milk,
because whole cow milk is too low in iron
for the nutritional needs.
The shortage, which stems
from pandemic-related supply issues,
worsened after Abbott Laboratories,
a major formula manufacturer,
voluntarily recalled some products and closed a plant.
On May 16, the company announced that it had reached a deal
with the FDA for the reopening of their formula plant,
but a date has not yet been confirmed.
On May 18, President Biden invoked
the Defense Production Act,
to help manufacturers increase production of baby formula.
The administration also launched a new program
that would use commercial aircrafts
to pick up overseas formula that meets US standards.
- I'm hopeful that the government allowing imports
and increased production
will begin to see a turnaround over the next couple weeks,
but I think we're still gonna be need to be very careful.
I don't expect to see full resolution
until, really, multiple months from now,
and families need to be aware of that.