Parents hunting for baby formula as shortage spans US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents across the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many leading brands off store shelves.
Months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets have been exacerbated by the recall at Abbott, which was forced to shutter its largest U.S. formula manufacturing plant in February due to contamination concerns.
On Monday, White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said the Food and Drug Administration was “working around the clock to address any possible shortages" and will try to expedite imports of foreign baby formula to increase supply.
For now, pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who can’t find formula to contact food banks or doctor's offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes.
“For babies who are not being breastfed, this is the only thing they eat," said Dr. Steven Abrams, of the University of Texas, Austin. "So it has to have all of their nutrition and, furthermore, it needs to be properly prepared so that it’s safe for the smallest infants.”
Laura Stewart, a 52-year-old mother of three who lives just north of Springfield, Missouri, has been struggling for several weeks to find formula for her 10-month-old daughter, Riley.
Riley normally gets a brand of Abbott's Similac designed for children with sensitive stomachs. Last month, she instead used four different brands.
“She spits up more. She’s just more cranky. She is typically a very happy girl," Stewart said. "When she has the right formula, she doesn’t spit up. She’s perfectly fine."
A small can costs $17 to $18 and lasts three to five days, Stewart said.
Like many Americans, Stewart relies on WIC — a federal program similar to food stamps that serves...
