Pediatricians Offer Guidance to Maneuver Baby Formula Shortage

It is important for parents and caregivers to remember that infant formula can be the sole source of nutrition for infants and is strictly regulated by the FDA.Dieticians with the Goodhouse Keeping Institue Nutrition Lab spoke with two pediatricians regarding the harmful effects of homemade formulas and potential avenues parents can take for short-term solutions to the acute crisis, Good Housekeeping reported.Pediatrician Tanya Altman, M.D., F.A.A.P, who founded Calabasas Pediatrics, told the outlet that formula “is a very complex nutrient-dense product made from years of development and clinical trials specifically for the needs of growing and developing babies.”“Homemade infant formulas often do not have the correct ratio of important nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals,” she added. It also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle and does not have the right amount of nutrients your baby needs.Abrams wrote that cow’s milk is certainly not ideal but says “in a pinch,” it is a superior alternative to making a homemade formula or diluting baby formula:This may be an option if your child is older than 6 months of age and is usually on regular formula (not a specialty product for allergies or other special health needs). She urged parents to speak to their children’s pediatricians before taking such action.In his article, Abrams emphasized that toddler formulas are not recommended for infants but said if absolutely necessary, it can be given to babies close to a year old, but only for a couple of days.Altman told CNN that some products made in Australia and Europe are high quality but urged parents to seek reputable distributors.“Not all international formulas are created equally, so you may want to make sure you know what you are getting and that it’s a high-quality product,” she said.Abrams noted in his healthychildren.org article that he is apprehensive regarding imported baby formulas as they are not FDA approved.“It’s a less-than-ideal alternative but if that’s what they have to do, then that’s what they have to do,” he told CNN.An FDA spokesperson told CNN that the agency recommends against the alternative as products could be counterfeit.