Amid baby formula shortage, here's where to get help in Lubbock

As people across the nation struggle to find formula to feed their infants, shelves in Lubbock, too, are mostly bare, but South Plains parents need not fret, as options and alternatives are available when looking to find formula, according to representatives from South Plains Food Bank and Covenant Children’s.

In the midst of a massive domestic shortage of infant formula caused by the shuttering of one of the nation’s largest formula manufacturing facilities, there are lots of “dos and don’ts” floating around on the internet advising parents of how to feed their babies when formula is unavailable. But, Dr. Lara Johnson, Texas Tech physician and chief of staff at Covenant Children’s, says the most important “don’t” to remember is this: Don’t try to mix up your own batch of formula in the kitchen at home if you can’t find it at the store.

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“It’s a really challenging time for families who may find themselves in that boat,” Johnson told the A-J Wednesday afternoon. “The most important message is don’t make your own formula. There’s been some online activity suggesting that might be an alternative, and that is a very dangerous thing to do.”

Johnson warned there could be some serious consequences to a DIY formula approach.

“One concern is just contamination, so potential infections and other things that could be an issue with homemade formulas,” Johnson said. “But the biggest concern is that babies really need the exact right about of various electrolytes and protein and all of these kinds of things, and if you either try to make your own or try to water down formula to try to make it last longer, those are both really bad ideas because we can have the electrolytes get all out of whack.”

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Johnson advises instead to shop around and look in different stores than usual to try and find formula, but that can be difficult for economically disadvantaged families who might already struggle to find and pay for formula, says Morgan Baker, director of communications for South Plains Food Bank.

“In our society, there is a shortage of safe baby formula that is available to the population. That means that baby formula that does exist, that is available to the population, the price just skyrockets on it and it’s really hard to find,” Baker said. “That immediately becomes not viable for somebody that is already in a financially unstable position.”

But, he said, because of a unique program that has been in place for a number of years at the food bank, SPFB was able to “get ahead of the disaster” to provide the much-needed staple to families in need.

Under the little-known program, people in Lubbock County who are ordered by a court to complete community service hours because of a traffic ticket or other minor offense can donate Similac brand baby formula — and only Similac brand baby formula — to the food bank in exchange for volunteer hours, with approval from a court or probation officer. Because of that ongoing program, Baker said, SPFB was well stocked when the shortage struck.

“We have gathered quite a considerable amount of that,” Baker said. “We have enough to provide for quite a few people that are in need.”

“If that’s something that you need, when you are speaking to one of our representatives, mention that and they can set somebody up with that really easily,” he added.

Of course, there are income restrictions on who qualifies to receive assistance from the food bank, but Baker said South Plains Food Bank will do their best to help anyone who walks through the doors.

“If somebody is willing to come to the food bank and ask for help, there’s no way we’re going to let them leave emptyhanded. That goes beyond food; we’ll do whatever we can to help you in whatever capacity we can,” Baker said.

For those who need to shop around, Johnson offered a few tips.

“There are a lot of recommendations to diversify where you shop. Some of the smaller stores may actually have better supply than some of the bigger stores. You may try even convenience stores and other places that may carry formula that you may not routinely think about,” Johnson said.

She also noted that any brand will suffice if a parent’s go-to is out of stock.

“Sometimes families may have a preference for a certain brand, and I think another important message is baby formula is all OK. All the formula commercially available here in the U.S. is FDA approved and safe to use and appropriate to use, so if you need to substitute a different brand for a period of time, that is totally fine,” Johnson said. “From a medical standpoint, there is no reason not to do that.”

“If you go to the store, and the formula you normally buy isn’t there, but right next to it is another formula that’s meant for infants, then maybe just pick that up and that’s OK,” she added.

Most importantly, Johnson said, don’t guess or make assumptions if you’re unsure what to do.

“Please, please contact your pediatrician, your family physician, with any questions about feeding your baby,” Johnson said. “The most important take-home is if you’re unsure, that’s what we’re here for — please call your doctor.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Here's where to find baby formula in Lubbock