Clark County experts give advice on baby formula resources
May 25—SOUTHERN INDIANA — In response to the nationwide baby formula shortage, the Clark County Health Department hosted a panel of experts for a virtual information session on Tuesday to provide parents with resources.
There is 40% less baby formula on the shelves than before the shortage, said Dr. Camie Wright, vice president and market chief medical officer for CareSource in Indiana.
Wright pointed to three major factors for the lack of formula on shelves: a facility shutdown, pandemic-related supply chain shortages and inability to import a lot of formula from other countries.
The majority of the formula in the United States is produced by four main companies, Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said.
When the largest manufacturer, Abbott, temporarily shut down a Michigan facility and recalled its products in February, it had a major impact on the supply chain.
Just about every industry had faced supply chain slowdowns since the pandemic started, but the facility closure exacerbated the issue for baby formula.
Since there are few FDA approvals on baby formula made in other countries, it is difficult for the product to be imported to make up for the shortage.
With the empty shelves leaving parents struggling to find formula, home remedy advice has been circulating on social media.
Yazel said after hearing about some of the suggestions being shared on social media, he thought it was important to put together the information session so everyone could hear safe medical advice.
Dr. Christina Lane, a New Albany-based pediatrician with Growing Kids Pediatrics, shared a number of alternatives she has heard that should be avoided.
Lane said that baby formula should not be watered down to make it last. The mixing directions on the container should always be followed, she said.
"There's a reason why you're told to mix it a certain way, and that is because you need a certain concentration of the protein and the minerals," she said.
Diluting the concentration results in less nutrition and could cause babies to develop hyponatremia, or abnormally low levels of sodium in their blood.
Home remedies like creating homemade formula should also be avoided, Lane said.
Yazel said that these home remedies may be passed down from other people who have claimed to have successful outcomes, but parents need to avoid them regardless.
"Some of those things that you might have been able to sneak one bottle and everything was fine...that is extremely dangerous, especially for extended periods," Yazel said. "No home remedies."
Wright and Lane also noted that other kinds of milk should not be used as substitutes, be it non-dairy milk or dairy milk.
A common question Lane is asked by parents is when they can just switch over to using whole milk. She said if babies are introduced too early they can have issues with iron and gastrointestinal bleeding because of the proteins in the milk.
While parents might be tempted to purchase formula online, Wright said they should ensure that it is coming from a reputable source.
"There is also counterfeit formula out there. If you're going to buy some formula, make sure you're getting it from a reputable source, not eBay or someone's garage, because not everyone does the right thing all the time," she said.
The experts did offer other solutions that parents could consider when looking for formula.
Yazel suggested the website www.storebrandformula.com/findalternative for parents looking for alternative formulas. A state resource line that people who have formula issues can call is 1-844-MCH-MOMS.
LaShonna Thompson is the WIC clinic manager at New Hope Services WIC program. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, works to support low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum individuals.
Thompson said that the program works closely with families that are struggling to find available alternatives for specialty formulas that were prescribed for babies.
"Some of the formulas just aren't available in the store, so that's when we try to work with the family or the pediatrician's office to find one that is similar," Thompson said.
She said that the state has recently allowed WIC to be used for store brand hypoallergenic formulas to expand the availability of specialty formulas.
Lane said that pediatrician offices might also be able to provide formula samples and they can help parents transition to another formula.
Breastfeeding was also a topic of the information session, as Wright referred to it as the best option in an ideal world.
"If that is an available option, we really want to encourage that in our new moms," she said.
Thompson said that WIC can be a great resource to help with breastfeeding because they have a staff trained to help with lactation.
The program can also help new parents learn to assemble and use a pump.
Wright said that it is important to get the message out about breastfeeding to all communities so they can decide what best works for them.
"There are definitely reports out there that Black and other moms of color receive less encouragement and less education around breastfeeding, and so we see less uptake of breastfeeding," Wright said.
The health experts all noted that it is understood that breastfeeding is not the solution in all families and parents should not feel guilty about it.
Lane noted that those taking mental health medication may be unable to breastfeed, but parents' mental health has to be the priority.
Wright suggested parents talk to health care providers about navigating the world of medication while breastfeeding.
"The number of medications that are safe for breastfeeding is probably larger than you think," she said.
If a baby will not latch, Lane reminded parents that there is the option to pump and bottle feed, and they should not feed badly about it.
Using donated human milk is also an option for parents who don't have access to formula and cannot breastfeed.
TheMilkBank.org is a resource both for parents needing to purchase donor milk and donate milk.
"[The Milk Bank] provides pasteurized, pre-screened human milk. This is milk from lactating women that goes through a process that makes sure that there's no bacteria or other harmful agents in the donor milk," Wright said.
Wright said the milk can cost $4.50 per ounce, but the bank operates on a sliding scale.
"They never want cost to be an issue for people not using that avenue," she said.
Purchasing donor milk from a recognized company like The Milk Bank can be a good resource, but Thompson said parents should be cautious about taking donor milk from individuals or families.
The pasteurization and screening that occurs from these companies should not be circumvented, Wright said.
"If there is somebody in your circle who has extra breast milk, tell them to donate to The Milk Bank. The Milk Bank and other milk banking organizations are always looking for donors, and then they can process that appropriately so that it's safe for infants," Wright said.
"I think it's wonderful that people have breast milk that they want to share, let's make sure we're doing that in a safe way."
When parents are able to find their formula at the store, Yazel encourages them not to hoard it but get enough for 10 to 14 days.
"Don't buy out the store of boxes and boxes, because that just perpetuates the shortage for everybody," he said.
Wright said that they have every reason to be optimistic about the shortage being resolved soon.
Abbott reached an agreement with the FDA and should resume formula production in about two weeks, according to Wright.
"However, they expect it to be at least a month after that before it will be back on shelves, and it will be a few months before we get back to this pre-crisis level," she said.
A large international shipment of Nestle baby formula was received in Indianapolis on May 22, but Yazel said it still takes time for it to be distributed on a micro level. Nestle is one of the four baby formula manufacturers in the U.S.
"Be patient. Everybody's working to get that out there as soon as possible," he said.
