It's easy to choose good baby formula when there's plenty of it, but what if you have a shortage?
A survey found that almost half of moms and dads who relied on formula to feed their kids during a formula shortage last year used potentially harmful feeding options.
Let's find out more about it.
Shortage makes it riskier
Before the formula shortage, only 8% were using unsafe feeding options. However, during the shortage, this number jumped to almost 50%.
These risky practices included thinning out formula with water, using expired or even homemade formula, or relying on informal sharing of human milk.
The amount of couples who shared human milk increased a lot from 5% to 25%, and those who used watered-down formula rose from 2% to 29%.
This situation was made worse by trade policies that made it challenging to bring in formula from other places.
Some states were facing severe shortages, with out-of-stock rates reaching as high as 90%.
The survey pointed out a critical issue: the limited number of formula makers and milk banks in the U.S. This scarcity had a more significant impact on lower-income communities.
While donor milk from milk banks is a safer option, its availability and cost remain constrained.
Why it's important
The survey emphasizes the need for policy changes in healthcare, regulation, and workplaces to provide better support for families, especially those with lower incomes.
The specialists hope that the formula shortage will not have long-term health consequences for babies, but they stress the importance of systemic changes to prevent future baby feeding crises.
