Babies Left Hungry During Ongoing Formula Shortage

Fact Sheet: Helping Families Find Formula During the Infant Formula Shortage – HHS.gov

The infant formula shortage is a nightmare for American families with young infants. Parents find themselves without the basic food and fluids to keep their small children alive and healthy. Many people are using the shortage to further the stigma against infant formula.

In some instances, breastfeeding is not an option for mom or baby because of maternal or infant biology. This can include having had a C-section, infertility issues and dozens of maternal health conditions.

In cases of jaundice, low blood sugar, and other medical conditions, using a safe, regulated breast-milk substitute like commercial infant formula is the only way to prevent starvation, dehydration, and death.

Supply chain issues continue to affect baby formula shortage across the U.S., but many moms equate using formula with failure. One mother cried when she learned that formula supplementation was the only way to optimize both maternal and infant well-being.

The Biden-Harris Administration is working with retailers and manufacturers to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the country. We are also calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices.

United Way’s 2-1-1 can help you find food pantries and other charitable sources of infant formula and baby food.

Call your OBGYN or pediatrician for in-office samples of similar formula. Experts advise against watering down formula, make formula at home, or using toddler formula to feed infants. All of these can cause additional health risks to the baby.

Find out more about this shortage at the following news sources:

  1. Fact Sheet: Helping Families Find Formula During the Infant Formula Shortage  HHS.gov
  2. Desperate Families Seek Baby Formula Help  Inside Edition
  3. Republicans demand Biden admin immediately address baby formula shortage: ‘This is not a third world country’  Fox News
  4. Opinion | The Formula Shortage Isn’t an Excuse to Be Cruel  The New York Times
  5. Baby formula shortage leaves mothers wrongly shamed for not breastfeeding  NBC News
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News