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Area families struggle during infant formula shortage

The Daily Union - 6/7/2022

Jun. 1—With stockpiling, a recall on brands of formula and strict regulations causing the nation to experience a major shortage of infant formula, area families continue to struggle to find formula for their babies.

Fort Riley resident and military spouse Shelby Moon-Phipps has two young children, including a baby nearly 5 months old. Her infant is allergic to soy and lactose. With the limits on what brands she can buy with WIC (Women, Infants and Children program), Moon-Phipps uses Enfamil Nutramigen formula to feed her child.

Moon-Phipps said her family has struggled to find infant formula in stores since her baby's birth in January. After finding a store 45 minutes away in Abilene that sold the formula, she said her family felt a little more secure, but within the past month, even that store ran out of the brand.

Because her father travels for a living, Moon-Phipps asked him to check grocery stores he comes across, but she said he has had little luck despite the fact that his travels often take him across multiple states, from Texas to Michigan.

"Every Walmart that my dad comes across or mom and pop grocery store, my dad stops and looks, and if he can find it, he snags it. Otherwise, I'm basically constantly checking the Walmart website and calling grocery stores to find out if they have it," she said. "My mom drove all the way up to Nebraska last week to get me a can of formula — just one can."

In February, Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powdered infant formulas produced in Sturgis, Michigan, were recalled because powdered products from the Michigan plant potentially caused bacterial infections in four infants who had to be hospitalized. The bacterial infection may have contributed to the death of two of the babies.

Between strains on the supply chain during the pandemic and the new concerns the recall created, stores began to see infant formula disappear from the shelves at an alarming rate.

"It's really scary, especially as a mom of a child with allergies," Moon-Phipps said. "Not knowing if she's going to be able to eat at the end of the can of formula that I have today. Not knowing where the next can's going to come from."

Moon-Phipps said after finding out her baby is allergic to soy early in the year, she was left with nine cans of soy formula that she could not use. She said about a month ago, she was able to donate the formula to another military spouse on the fort who was looking for soy formula. She messaged her over Facebook to let her know she could pick up the formula.

"She cried when she pulled up to my house, because she had been looking for three days to find food for her son," she said.

Another Fort Riley resident, Katy Kelley, said she is donating her extra breastmilk to mothers who cannot find formula for their infants. She said she is getting more requests than she can fill, but has helped two moms so far. She is continuing to increase her pumping in an effort to help more babies.

"In tough times, community is a treasure," she said. "If I can do something so small to help keep babies from being hungry, I'm happy to do so."

On May 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced increased flexibilities regarding importation of certain infant formula products. The U.S. normally produces 98% of its own infant formula, according to the FDA. The FDA is allowing importation of certain products intended for a foreign market and is working with organizations to expedite entry for products made abroad.

On May 27, the FDA announced that under the increased flexibilities, Bubs Australia is importing six infant formula products to the U.S., including Bubs Supreme A2 Beta-Casein Protein, Bubs Organic Grass Fed and Bubs Easy-digest Goat Milk Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products.

"Due to our strong control of our supply chain security and our wholly owned production facility, we have already manufactured what is required and have been able to take steps to immediately increase the level of our future production as needed," Bubs Australia stated.

The FDA announced on May 24 that U.K.'sKendal Nutricare is importing about 2 million cans of infant formula to the U.S. to stock shelves with starting this month. That amounts to more than 50 million 8-ounce bottles.

The organization announced two days later that about 500,000 additional cans of specialized medical formula by Danone's Nutricia is headed to the U.S. The Danone's Nutricia products amount to more than 5 million 8-ounce bottles. The specialized medical formula will be distributed through direct ordering, hospitals, health care professionals, pharmacies, healthcare product distributors and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC local access points.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is evaluating options to get the products to the U.S. as quickly as possible, the FDA said. The organization advises against making infant formulas at home or diluting formula and encourages caregivers to work closely with their child's health care provider.

"We continue to work around the clock with our government partners and industry to ensure there's adequate infant formula available wherever and whenever parents and caregivers need it," said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. "Steps like the one the agency is taking today means more infant formula will be available to parents and caregivers in the weeks and months ahead. We will not rest until our shelves are replete with safe and nutritious infant formula."

Abbott announced plans to restart production at the Sturgis, Michigan, facility on June 4, with initial EleCare products released to consumers around June 20, which will also increase the supply of infant formula.

In the meantime, Moon-Phipps said she advises other parents and guardians seeking formula to check all the nearby smaller grocery stores and to reach out to fellow parents in case any are able to help during such a time of need for infants in the area and across the nation.

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