- Dr. Victoria Regan said parents should consult a medical professional before switching formulas.
- She said the change might be simpler than parents think.
- Watering formula down will rob a baby of essential nutrients and put their health at risk.
If caring for a new baby isn't stressful enough, many parents across the US are having to deal with even more anxiety because of a formula shortage.
After tracking inventory at more than 11,000 stores, retail analysts at Datasembly found that 40% of the nation's best-selling formula products were out of stock as of the week ending April 24.
Ben Reich, the data company's CEO, told "CBS MoneyWatch" last week that "this is a shocking number that you don't see for other categories."
The deficit has forced parents to scramble to buy enough formula to feed their babies since the demand for the product outweighs the supply.
Dr. Victoria Regan, a pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas, told Insider that the problem had been caused by supply-chain issues during the pandemic coupled with the recall of three major formula brands earlier this year.
"COVID-19 was the initial trigger since it didn't allow production to be at 100%," she said, adding that the issue was "exacerbated" by the recall earlier this year of products made by a leading supplier, Abbott Health.
The firm recalled select batches of its Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare formulas after they were linked to bacterial infections in babies. The Food and Drug Administration said that tainted formula "may have contributed to death in two patients."
But the doctor believes that concerned parents struggling to locate formula for their children can navigate their way through the shortage.
"Our first recommendation is to call your baby's healthcare provider, usually their pediatrician, to find out which formulas may work for your baby that are more readily available," Regan said, adding that some doctors' offices offer free samples that infants can try.
Parents can switch their babies' formula
Regan said that switching to an equivalent brand of formula might not be quite as challenging as parents think.
"Babies can sometimes be a bit picky when you change the formula but, usually, if you give it a few days, they get used to the taste," Regan said.
The transition can be more complex for babies with special dietary needs, she said. "In those cases, you really do need to contact your healthcare provider before you try anything different," Regan said.
The doctor sounded a note of caution for parents looking overseas to purchase formulas made in other countries. She said that certain brands being shipped to the US from Europe have become popular.
These formulas are not reviewed by the FDA — a safety requirement for all baby formula sold in America — and run the risk of possible contamination.
"The problem at this stage is that we're not always 100% sure where they're being imported from and whether they're manufactured at a plant that is secure," Regan said.
Never water down formula to make it last longer
Similarly, the doctor warned against parents attempting to make their own formula by following recipes on the internet or watering down the supply they already have in order to make it last longer, because "the baby is not getting the right nutrients," Regan said.
In some cases, the consequences can be serious. "You can cause the baby to have a seizure because they're not getting the vitamins they need to be normal," she said.
The temptation to replace hard-won formula with cow or goat milk or nut milks should also be resisted before the baby reaches the age of 1.
"They should really not be drinking any kind of nonhuman milk," Regan explained. "If they're not getting milk from either mom or a reputable breast-milk supplier, the essential nutrients are lacking, affecting both physical and neurodevelopment."
Some parents have been tempted to hoard formula if they happen to come across a large supply in a store, but Regan advised them to hold back. "We need to ensure that all our babies get the proper nutrition they need."
Big chains like Walgreens, CVS, and Target took steps to address hoarding last month. The drugstores are limiting purchases of formula to three products at a time; Target is allowing three to four formula products to be purchased in stores and online per transaction.
As for the future, Regan is cautiously optimistic that an end to the shortage is in sight. It might take "a few months," she said. "But as long as the supply-chain issues are resolved, availability should be back to full effect."