Kitsap parents seek far-flung sources of formula as shortage persists

Sarah van Uitert calls herself lucky —  the effects of the nationwide baby formula shortage didn't hit her until April.

The infant formula she'd been using to feed her 6-month-old daughter had not been recalled for bacterial contamination, unlike Similac, a popular brand recalled in February.

Even when Kitsap County shelves became depleted of all formula brands, Uitert received help from relatives in Portland, Oregon, who brought her formula when Portland's shelves were full.

And in the rare cases when Amazon was stocked on formula, Uitert was able to ship canisters to her house, though they arrived over a month after she placed the order.

Despite this, the stress of searching for formula has not been easy on her. Uitert said navigating the shortage has left her feeling guilty for feeding her child with formula rather than breastfeeding.

"I got pretty OK with doing formula after a bit, and then all of this went down," she said. "It brought back that guilt from the beginning. Like 'Oh my goodness, if I had breastfed from the beginning, I wouldn't have to deal with this.'"

The nationwide supply of infant formula was already short in 2021 because of COVID-19-related supply-chain issues, but the shortage deepened in February when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted production of formula at an Abbott Nutrition plant in Sturgis, Michigan, after dangerous bacterial strains were detected in the plant.

Abbott Nutrition controls more than 40% of the U.S. formula market, and before the shutdown, the Sturgis plant had been the largest formula producer in the US. After the FDA investigation, nearly all powdered formula products produced at the plant were recalled.

Since then, store shelves across the U.S. have often been empty. Retailers like Walmart, CVS and Target placed limits on the number of formula containers parents could buy to control the shortage.

Forty percent of the nation's supply was out-of-stock in May, according to Datasembly. By the last week of May, Washington's out-of-stock rate had skyrocketed to 80%.

Amid the shortage, some Kitsap County parents have traveled hundreds of miles to find formula.

Kelsiana Marshall of Bremerton drove over three hours across the U.S.-Canada border to find formula at Canadian retailers. Marshall said a relative had told her that some stores there had fully-stocked shelves and no purchase limitations.

Canada's supply of formula fell short following the US recall, but the shortage has not been as dire or lasted as long as in the U.S.

"I am lucky enough to be financially well off and was able to try a bunch of different formulas and spend the day driving to Canada even with crazy gas prices," she said, "but I know there’s a lot of families that can’t do that and it’s horrible fearing for your child."

Several formula brands Marshall said she fed to her 10-month-old son made him sick, so her options when she went to the supermarket were limited even further.

"The shortage has been quite difficult to deal with since it’s scary wondering what you will feed your child and if they will have to suffer stomach problems or throwing up just to have a meal."

On the trip to Canada, Marshall said she purchased over $500 worth of formula, some for her son, but most of which she provided to other parents on request through Facebook.

Alysa Duenas-Morales said she uses Facebook groups for Kitsap County mothers to locate stores selling with sensitive, easy-to-digest formula for her infant daughter.

Duenas-Morales' doctor recommended sensitive formula, but Duenas-Morales said she is unable to find those products and has had to rely on other forms of formula, which has caused her daughter gastrointestinal issues.

"When she's asleep in her bed, I stay up past midnight to write moms, and write on the formula groups, and go on Walgreens or Safeway sites. I just try to do everything I can," she said.

Supply issues will persist into July, according to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, despite President Joe Biden authorizing the Defense Department in May to fly in foreign formula products that meet federal standards back to the U.S.

Abbott restarted production at the Sturgis plant on June 4 with plans to release EleCare hypoallergenic formula and other specialty products beginning on June 20. However, Abbott halted production of EleCare on June 15 after severe storms swept through Sturgis this week, flooding the factory.

Production and distribution will likely be delayed several weeks, according to Abbott.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap parents seek far-flung sources of formula as shortage persists