There's a baby formula shortage, but OKC-area resources are available to help
Families searching for infant formula in Oklahoma and across the country have been met with sparse shelves as supply shortages have worsened in recent weeks.
Supply-chain disruptions were already making it difficult to find some brands of baby formula, and the shortages became worse when Abbott Nutrition, a major formula manufacturer, issued a recall of three types of formula in February after babies got sick from bacteria infections after consuming them.
More: FDA reaches deal with Abbott to reopen baby formula factory; how long until it's back on shelves?
Local organizations want families to know that help is available for parents struggling to find what they need to keep their babies fed, and health experts have urged them to know the risks of making unsafe substitutions for formula.
Here's what to know about where to look for formula, what to do if you can't find your baby's formula, and risks to avoid.
What should I do if I can’t find my baby’s formula?
The state Health Department encouraged families searching for formula to see if smaller stores and pharmacies may have it in stock and to consider store-brand formula options.
Social media groups also may be helpful, though the Health Department warned to use discretion to avoid possible scams.
Pediatricians also may have formula samples they can provide to tide families over.
More: Looking for baby formula? Here's where to search online
If you can't find your baby's formula, the Health Department suggests families try these steps:
Check if alternate forms of your baby’s formula are available for purchase, like a powder, concentrate or ready-to-feed option
Talk to a health care provider (like a pediatrician or nutritionist) about transitioning from your baby's current formula to a new formula, making the change gradually to help your baby tolerate the new formula
Contact a lactation consultant about relactating or increasing your milk supply. The Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline can connect you with a certified lactation consultant. Call 877-271-6455 or text OK2BF to 61222.
Check with donor milk banks to see if purchasing pasteurized human breast milk could be an option.
Families also may try calling local food banks, community organizations or local Department of Human Services offices to see if they have formula available.
Families on WIC may be able to receive additional resources by contacting their local county health department.
What should you not do if you can’t find formula?
Doctors and other health experts urge families not to resort to diluting formula or making homemade formula in the wake of shortages.
Commercial infant formula is made up of specific ingredients that are vetted to ensure babies are getting the right amounts of nutrients they need to grow and develop, said Dr. Stephanie DeLeon, a pediatric hospitalist with Oklahoma Children's Hospital.
“A lot of the recipes for homemade formulas that I’ve seen, they are lacking at least one key ingredient when it comes to fat, sugars or protein,” she said. “Then we worry that those babies aren’t getting the nutrition that they need to grow.”
Diluting formula to stretch it further also can cause serious health problems for babies by causing hyponatremia, when the concentration of sodium in the blood is too low and can cause seizures, DeLeon said.
More: The baby formula shortage is getting worse — here are other options to feed an infant
Manufacturers follow a scientific process to ensure commercial formulas have the right calorie content per ounce, said Jenni Klufa, a nutrition specialist for OSU's Community Nutrition Education Programs.
"Those added nutrients, those vitamins and minerals, are what formula companies are able to put in the formula in a scientific way so that they're tolerated well, absorbed and used the way they need to be," Klufa said. "You just can't account for all of that in a kitchen."
Health experts have some suggestions about alternatives to avoid during the shortages. Here's what families should know:
Don't use goat’s milk, cow’s milk or any plant-based beverages (such as soy, almond or oat milks) in place of formula.
"All of those milks have different types of proteins, and a baby's body is just not ready to process those types of proteins, not until closer to a year," Klufa said. The specialist emphasized that an 11-month-old baby, transitioning into the first year of age, could potentially begin including a beverage like cow's milk into their diet, but only if their pediatrician approved the process.
Never dilute or "stretch" your infant’s formula with extra water or baby food.
Infants need a higher amount of nutrition for their rapid growth and development, and they typically triple their weight from birth to twelve months.
To "stretch" a supply of formula by adding extra water to the bottle weakens the proper concentration of nutrition the baby needs, Klufa said, and introducing baby foods too early could cause serious issues for the baby's gastrointestinal track before it's adequately developed.
"If a baby doesn't get the right consistency, or if they get a protein that their body isn't ready to tolerate properly, it can cause organ issues, particularly the kidneys, and it can lead to some pretty serious illnesses, possibly seizures," Klufa said.
Don't make your own infant formula.
In addition to concerns about homemade formula likely not including all of the nutrients a growing baby needs, it also could introduce possibilities of cross-contamination, Klufa said.
"Even if we are extra cautious and wash our hands and clean our surfaces, a baby's immune system is just not as developed as a 4-year-old's or an adult's, and the smallest pathogen could cause a lot of issues for a baby when you're making your own stuff at home," Klufa said.
Avoid casual sharing of breast milk.
Reputable milk banks can connect families with donated breast milk from vetted donors. The milk is pasteurized before it's distributed.
But health experts have discouraged families from casually sharing breast milk because of health and safety risks.
"I certainly know that happens in our community, and I do think every mom has to evaluate what their own risk threshold is," DeLeon said. "Any time that a family is sharing breast milk, there's the concern that you may share infection, that you may not know what medications a mom is on that you may be exposing your infant to."
Improper storage of breast milk also can be a concern with casual sharing of breast milk, she said.
What organizations can help?
Nonprofits have stepped up to help parents find formula as shortages have worsened, amid increased demand for help. These local organizations may be able to assist families struggling to find what they need to keep their babies fed:
More: OKC nonprofits serving infant needs see uptick after national baby formula shortage
How long could the shortage last?
The Food and Drug Administration and Abbott Nutrition, the manufacturer that had to recall three types of formula in February, reached a deal this week to reopen Abbott's baby formula factory in Michigan.
More: FDA reaches deal with Abbott to reopen baby formula factory; how long until it's back on shelves?
If a court approves the agreement, the factory could reopen and resume production in about two weeks, USA TODAY reported.
Abbott said in a statement that once the site restarts, it could take six to eight weeks before formula products are back on the shelves again.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Where to find baby formula, help in OKC amid nationwide shortage
