Target limits purchases to four per person when buying online.Īmazon said Thursday it is working to keep the products available on its website and monitoring third-party sellers for price-gouging. For CVS and Walgreens, the limit is three per customer. Several national chains have limited the number of containers customers can purchase in stores and online. WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO KEEP FORMULA IN STOCK? Steven Abrams, a pediatrician at the University of Texas, Austin.Ībrams also stressed that parents should never dilute infant formula. “Particularly for small babies, many of these formulas and mixtures that are found online don’t contain even the most basic nutrient mixes that babies need to survive,” said Dr. They also lack the specific vitamins and proteins found in breastmilk and FDA-approved formulas that are needed for basic nutrition. Many do-it-yourself formula recipes are made from cow’s milk and granular sugar that may be difficult for young babies to digest. WHY ARE PARENTS TOLD NOT TO USE MAKE-YOUR-OWN FORMULA RECIPES ONLINE? Health officials also warn against buying formula via social media websites or outside of conventional retailers because they could be counterfeit. Parents should talk to their doctor if they can’t find those products, which manufacturers usually distribute through pharmacies and clinics.įamilies that qualify for WIC - a federal program similar to food stamps that pays for about half the formula used in the U.S.
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Some infants require specialty formulas due to allergies, digestive problems and other medical conditions. Most regular baby formulas contain the same basic ingredients and nutrients, so parents shouldn’t hesitate to buy a different brand if they’re having trouble finding their regular one. Experts also recommend checking with smaller stores and pharmacies, which may still have supplies when larger stores run out. Talk with your pediatrician or call a local food bank to see if they can help locate some options.
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WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO IF THEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING FORMULA? About three quarters of Black babies are breast fed in infancy, below the national average of 84%, according to the CDC. Rates of breastfeeding have consistently been lower among Black babies than other groups. State and federal laws have been enacted to encourage breastfeeding by requiring break time and accommodations for mothers of infants. About 60% of mothers stop breastfeeding sooner than they had planned, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mothers face a number of challenges to long-term breastfeeding, including returning to work and finding the time and equipment needed to pump breast milk. But federal figures show that only 1 in 4 are relying solely on breast milk at that age. Health professionals recommend exclusively breastfeeding babies until they are 6 months old. WHY CAN’T ALL MOTHERS RELY ON BREAST MILK? The formulas are designed to mimic breast milk, though studies have repeatedly shown better health outcomes for babies who are breastfed. Formula makers achieve those levels by adding various sugars, oils and minerals. The Food and Drug Administration sets specific nutritional requirements, including minimum amounts of protein, fat, calcium and a number of vitamins. Most formulas contain protein from cow’s milk that’s been altered to be easier to digest and enhanced with extra nutrients needed for growth and development. Methanol in blood of teens who died in South African tavern Then in February, Abbott Nutrition recalled several major brands of powdered formula and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials began investigating four babies who suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Inventory was further squeezed by parents stockpiling during COVID-19 lockdowns. The problems began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in labor, transportation and raw materials - economy-wide issues that didn’t spare the formula industry. Ongoing supply disruptions have combined with a recent safety recall to leave many pharmacy and supermarket shelves bare.
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Here’s a look at what’s behind the problem and what parents can do: rely on formula, which is the only source of nutrition recommended for infants who aren’t exclusively breastfed. WASHINGTON (AP) - Many parents are hunting for infant formula because of a combination of short- and long-term problems that has hit most of the biggest U.S.