Baby Formula Shortage: Experts Share Alternative Options for Parents as Supply Issues Continue

Baby Formula Shortage product recalls Dr. Adam Barsella Monica Nicholas Dr. Rachel Sine U.S. Food and Drug Administration cvs Target walmart Walgreens purchase limit milk products supply chain Abbott

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Apr 21, 08:35 am

Photo: (Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images)

For the last few months, stores across America have been experiencing a baby formula shortage triggered by product recalls from a major manufacturer - Abbott. This has some parents scrambling for alternative options to feed their growing children as issues in the supply chain are likely to persist, and some experts are sounding off to help parents manage the lack of milk supply.

Dr. Adam Barsella, a pediatrician from Chicago, told ABC 7 that parents may temporarily switch to another formula milk, but they need to discuss their options with their pediatrician first. He said that the baby's doctor is the best resource for their nutrition.

However, dietitian Monica Nicholas said that parents must also be careful about too many baby formula switches as this may lead to digestive problems in their kids. Ideally, if parents need to make temporary changes, it should be a similar product from a different brand, and they could stick to this until the supply chain normalizes.

Baby Formula Shortage: What Parents Must Not Do

Dr. Rachel Sine, a pediatrician from Greenville in South Carolina, agrees with switching to similar products from a different brand since these have all met the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. She said even store brands are a great option as these have also passed the standards.

While some parents may take the initiative to make their own baby formula, Sine advises against such an idea because homemade baby's milk "doesn't have the correct nutrition or electrolytes," per WYFF 4.

The expert also warns against buying milk from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist since these are unregulated sales. As with Barsella, Sine also hopes parents will talk to their baby's doctor before making any diet changes.

Major Retailers Limiting Purchases

Meanwhile, CVS, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens have started limiting the number of baby formula parents may buy during their grocery trips. According to Fox Business News, quantity restrictions have been set to prevent hoarding. Walmart allows shoppers a maximum of five containers per purchase, while CVS and Walgreens limit three cans per purchase.

However, the purchase limits have also pushed the prices of the goods upward. Per Fast Company, baby formula prices rose to 29 percent in late March even as 30 percent of baby formula products were out of stock.

Industry insiders cannot pinpoint an exact date for the baby formula shortage to be over, but Abbott said it is ramping up its milk production in facilities that are not impacted by their product recalls, including resources from abroad. In early February, Abbott was forced to pull out many of its milk products in stores after some babies had been hospitalized or died after drinking their formula due to a rare bacterial infection. Following investigations, the FDA said that Abbott's Michigan facility was not adequately cleaned and maintained.