Supply
issues and a recall are affecting parents trying to find baby formula on the
shelves of retailers, and in some areas of the nation -- nearly 40% of formula
is out of stock.
There are a
lot of concerns among parents and expecting parents about the shortages, which
have ramped up since the beginning of the year. Stores are even limiting the
amount of formula customers can buy.
If you buy
formula online from Target, the retailer is limiting purchases to just four
units per customer. Other stores such as CVS and Walgreens are limiting in
store transactions to just three units per customer.
Shortages
began last year, according to data from
Datasembly. The problems worsened in the
second half of 2021 when the out of stock rate hit 31%, and since April, the
rate has increased to 40%.
The reason?
Supply chain issues, historic inflation and a recall when in February, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration recalled three brands of powdered baby formulas
made by Abbott Nutrition.
“You don't
know what proteins are going in, what vitamins are going in and how much
of each when babies are young and newborns,” says registered nurse Kelly Walsh.
“That is the most essential time for their brain to develop and their…whole
body.”
Doctors and
nurses at Children's Health Center say parents should not dilute formula with
water or try to make their own at home. There's no signs of this shortage
easing any time soon.
“We are
trying to give parents as many samples as we can get it's hard for us to even
get the samples from our reps as well,” says Krysten Condus, with Children's
Health Center.
The doctors
say the formulas specific for baby food allergies and special needs are the
hardest to find. One good piece of advice is to go on your local social media
community groups to see what stores in your region may have the brand and type
of formula you are looking for.