New Bern mothers search for relief as baby formula shortage worsens
It began in November, when about 11% of popular baby formula brands were out of stock, according to USA Today.
Then came a voluntary recall from Abbott Nutrition, the largest infant formula manufacturer in the country, involving three types of infant formula in February. Four babies became sick with bacterial infections after consuming the products. Two of the infants died in late 2021 and early 2022, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Two months later, stores across the country continue reporting shortages and outages of baby formula.
Because of supply chain shortages, consumers were already seeing a limited supply of baby formula products on the shelves. Nearly 40% of popular baby formula brands were sold out at retailers across the country at the end of April, according to USA Today – worsening a 31% shortage two weeks prior to the recall.
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As the supply of baby formula continues to worsen, mothers in New Bern say they are searching far and wide to ensure they can properly feed their children. So much so that some mothers are asking others if they are selling their breast milk.
"I've heard that several mothers cant find it in stores so they are ordering online, but I've had one mother ask if I was selling my milk," said Ashley Ortiz of New Bern. Ortiz said she planned to stop nursing her son after six months. However, due to the formula shortage, she is forced to continue.
Desperation has come into play with New Bern mother Kristen Carter, who says she has driven around Craven County multiple times and to multiple stores in order to find baby formula.
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Coupled with the high gas prices, Carter said it's like a double-edged sword where you can't find basic things for your child while wasting gas money looking for necessities.
"At this point, we have resulted to ordering formula online and trying to stock up as best we can," Carter said. "I feel for the mothers who have to go through what we are going through right now."
More shipments are expected to arrive soon. In the meantime, one local pediatrician says there are several do's and dont's that mothers should follow while the shortages continue.
What mothers should and should not do during this time of crisis
With reinforcements on the way, there is still uncertainty about when the supply chain for baby formula will correct itself. CarolinaEast Pediatrician Dr. Jennie Mangun explained the health system understands the struggles mothers are going through and is doing everything it can to assist.
"We are always pro-breastfeeding and some mothers just can't," said Mangum. "I've had mothers say they were unable to before but are trying as best they can to make it work because they are afraid they are not going to be able to get formula."
Mangum said what mothers should do is just as important as what they shouldn't do in finding formula to feed their infants.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued the following guidance May 16:
Do not water down your baby’s formula to stretch it out, it can be extremely dangerous to your baby to do so.
Do not try to make homemade formula or give your baby toddler formula before their first birthday, these can also be dangerous to your baby.
If you can’t find formula or can’t find your baby’s specific formula, work with your child’s health care provider to determine the best feeding plan.
Only buy formula from reputable retailers, not from unknown individuals, online resellers, or from overseas. How formula is stored and shipped can impact its safety for your baby.
"If you can't find formula at big box stores, check out smaller grocery or drug stores," Mangum said. "There are also situations where mothers are pumping breastmilk for others and while you may know that person, you may not know their full medical history. Find accredited places so you can have more assurances that precautions have been taken to make sure (breastmilk) is safe."
Federal government cutting red tap to alleviate the shortage
It is not uncommon for pediatricians to have parents who are stressed, explained Mangum. There are a variety of factors that can cause stress and a shortage of baby formula can only add to it.
Families across the country remain concerned about the availability of infant formula, especially families that rely on specialty products that are harder to substitute and some of which are only produced at the Michigan facility by Abbott Nutrition.
In the last several months, the federal government has worked to address the production shortfall brought about by the recall. More infant formula has been produced in the last four weeks than in the four weeks that preceded the recall, despite the fact that one of the largest infant formula production facilities in the country has been offline during that period, according to The White House.
Additional steps include cutting red tape to get more infant formula to the shelves by urging states to provide flexibility in the WIC program, which can be a key driver of some supply disruptions. State attorney generals are also being called on to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices related to the sales of infant formula.
Reporter Trevor Dunnell can be reached by email at tdunnell@newbernsj.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern mothers search for relief as baby formula shortage worsens
