MORGANTOWN – The baby formula shortage that began in February is causing a stir in the general public. Two members of West Virginia’s Congressional delegation joined in a letter to the president about it.
The Dominion Post visited seven local grocery stores to check the stocks, and talked to two local experts about the situation.
None of the seven stores was completely out of stock, but they all had big bare spots on their shelves. Some had more bare spots than stock. One store had a sign limiting purchases to five units; two others limited purchases to four units. One was taking advantage of the demand with an end cap display of its lowest-cost bottles.
The problem began in February, according to news reports, when Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan factory that makes Similac shut down following a bacterial outbreak, and has not reopened. Four babies got infected and two died, though there is no confirmed connection to the formula. But Abbott issued a recall.
The overall supply chain problems have exacerbated the shortage. A few other issues also are contributing. Just three companies dominate the market: Abbott, Gerber and Reckitt. About 98% of domestically consumed formula is produced domestically and federal trade policies and tariffs stifle imports.
The AP reported that the shortage is weighing particularly on lower-income families after the recall by Abbott. The recall wiped out many brands covered by WIC, a federal program like food stamps that serves women, infants and children, though the program now permits brand substitutes. The Biden administration is working with states to make it easier for WIC recipients to buy different sizes of formula that their benefits might not currently cover.
The Dominion Post talked with two local certified midwives and lactation consultants who co-host Milk Minute Podcast.
Heather O’Neal is an advanced practice registered nurse along with being a board certified midwife and lactation consultant. She owns a Morgantown breastfeeding clinic called Breastfeeding for Busy Moms.
Her patients have talked with her about the shortage she said. Some of the families she works with are mixed-feeding, meaning they use both breast milk and formula. “They have been mostly concerned about running out and keeping their supply up.”
Maureen Farrell runs Highland Birth Support. “Every single person I’ve seen has been concerned about the formula shortage,” she said. Primarily, the people she sees have been advised to introduce formula in response to breastfeeding problems. “That’s like panic inducing for parents right now.”
O’Neal said she’s has seen an increase in patients interested in re-lactation, where they would like to start lactation again after recently weaning a child. “Which is a whole other learning curve for people.”
She said she’s seen price hikes since the shortage started, especially among specialty formulas for babies with various food sensitivities. One went from $40 a can to more than $45, and that can will last a week.
Farrell talked about how her patients are coping with the shortage. A lot are making substitutions, which can be hard when babies are on specialty formulas that can’t be mixed and matched. They might try switching from brands to generics, from powder to ready-to-feed or concentrates.
“A lot of people have their family members just looking every time they go to the grocery store,” she said. Some are relying on samples from doctor offices. “So it’s pretty stressful.”
Asked what advice she’s offering, Farrell said that for those who are primarily breastfeeding, she tries to help them use as little formula as possible. “That’s usually their goal.”
But when a baby’s diet involves a significant amount of formula, “my instructions are ‘Please don’t hoard formula. If you have to make a substitution to a different type of formula, that’s OK. It can be temporary.”
If they can’t find anything, she said, she tells them to call their doctor, call WIC, ask friends and family, and ask breastfeeding friends who may be getting free samples in the mail that they don’t need.
O’Neal has some messages she’d like to get out, she said. First, to pediatricians. “Don’t hesitate to reach out to lactation professionals and bridge that gap, and see if there is a patient even is remotely interested in breastfeeding, to see if we can help. That way we can save the formula for who actually needs it. … Every ounce of breast milk they make is an ounce they don’t have to buy or find.”
Also, consider whether patients have access to a car to go get formula – with record high gas prices. “They’re literally burning gas driving from place to place looking for this formula, which is an absolute nightmare for parents.”
Access to clean water is another issue providers should consider, she said, when advising a patient on formula. Breast milk is clean.
Both advise against parents mixing their own formula at home – using things like corn syrup and cow’s milk or goat milk with maybe a bit of vanilla extract or orange juice.
“Not every baby has the same nutritional requirements,” O’Neal said.
Farrell said people are spreading around homemade formula recipes. “Which really worries me, because those are not going to be safe for a lot of babies, and cause many babies to be sick.”
Always consult your baby’s health care provider before trying, both said.
Always check the expiration date on your cans and bottles, O’Neal said. Powders aren’t sterile and can’t be sterilized. Liquids can at least be heated to further sterilize them.
Check the World Health Organization and CDC websites, she said, for instructions on preparing formula for short-term emergencies. The Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank is a resource for those who want to donate or need to receive breast milk.
O’Neal offered one parting thought. “’Fed is best’ is the bare minimum. Parents deserve to have feeding choice, which includes access to safe food for their baby either from formula or from their bodies.”
Letter to the president
Rep. Carol Miller, who represents West Virginia’s 3rd District, joined with 105 other House Republicans in a letter to President Biden and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf sent Wednesday, urging them to take action.
They said, “We write to you about concerns over the nationwide shortage of baby formula and your failure to meaningfully address this ongoing crisis. Parents are understandably frustrated and scared by this shortage. In fact, the formula shortage has reached crisis levels in recent weeks. … This issue is a matter of life and death, and it is time this administration treats it with the appropriate urgency it deserves.”
They sent Biden and Califf a list of nine questions regarding the causes of and their responses to the shortage, and demanded answers by May 18.
On the Senate side, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito told The Dominion Post, “New moms shouldn’t have to wonder whether or not they’ll be able to find baby formula to feed their child when they walk into a store. As a mother and grandmother, I understand how serious of an issue this is for working families in West Virginia, and across the country.”
She continued, “The Biden administration needs to also realize the gravity of the ongoing baby formula shortage, and act urgently to finally resolve the supply chain and inflation issues they’ve so far failed to address.”
The Biden administration announced some actions this week but, according to news reports, denied accusations it responded too slowly.
A White House fact sheet lists administration responses. They include cutting red tape to get formula onto store shelves faster, urging states to allow WIC clients to use their benefits on a wider variety of products, cracking down on price gouging and lowering import barriers.
Tweet David Beard @dbeardtdp Email dbeard@dominionpost.com
