A nationwide shortage of baby formula has not spared Utah parents, and one expert in the state said the supply problems could have been “much better prepared for.”
“It’s getting kind of scary for families out there who can’t find the formula that their babies need,” said JoDell Geilmann-Parke, the state vendor coordinator with the Women, Infants and Children Program.
Geilmann-Parke said the baby formula problems had been happening before the COVID-19 pandemic began more than two years ago. The problems, though, have been exacerbated by a February recall of baby formula products by Abbott Nutrition — including three of the company’s top brands: Similac, Alimentum and EleCare. All three types were produced in Abbott’s facility in Sturgis, Michigan, that was closed because of contamination concerns, the Associated Press reported.
The recall, the New York Times reported, came after “at least four babies were hospitalized with Cronobacter bacterial infections and two died after consuming its products.”
The U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration, in a guide to the formula recall it published in February, that symptoms of the infection include “poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths or abnormal body movements.”
The recall has led to a shortage in grocery stores nationwide. A spot-check of Smith’s and Harmons stores in the Salt Lake City area found empty shelves.
Employees at the Harmons at 3270 S. 1300 East said that customers have come in asking about formula — and that the store has tried to order more product, without success. Signs at the Smith’s at 945 E. 4500 South are posted, limiting purchases of baby formula to four per customer; no such limit has been placed as of Wednesday afternoon at Harmons.
On Monday, White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said the Food and Drug Administration was “working around the clock to address any possible shortages.” On Tuesday, the FDA said it was working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their output and streamlining paperwork to allow more imports.
Also Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the FDA’s commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, urging them to address the shortage.
“I write to ensure the federal government is taking every available step to get to the bottom of an increasingly urgent, nationwide shortage of infant formula, including the possible connection to several infant deaths,” Romney wrote.
“Infant formulas are also not easily interchangeable: some infants develop allergies or sensitivities, and some infants require specific formulas based on other medical conditions,” Romney wrote.
The Utah senator ended his letter asking for responses within two weeks to his questions about the FDA’s investigation into the Abbott recall, and other issues within the industry. “We respect and appreciate the difficult job your agencies have in overseeing the current infant formula crisis, but we also cannot afford to waste any time finding a solution,” Romney concluded.
Geilmann-Parke said that while the shortage continues, Utah parents can take these steps:
• “Work with a pediatrician to make sure that the baby is receiving the right kind of nutrition that he or she needs.”
• “I recommend that Utah families look out for each other. If they know of a neighbor that’s looking for a specific kind of formula and they see it at a grocery store, shoot that neighbor a text, give them a heads up.”
• " Work with their grocery stores and ask them if they know when specific orders are coming in.”
Geilmann-Parke also noted that “sometimes breastfeeding works, sometimes breastfeeding doesn’t.” Also, she said, pediatricians recommend babies stick to one particular formula, so it’s hard for parents to switch their infants to new formulas, especially if they have sensitive stomachs or allergies.
“The tricky part with the formula recall and shortage is that formulas that babies are typically used to consuming are simply not available right now, and parents are having to make tough choices about ‘OK, so now what am I going to feed my baby?’ …
“For most babies under the age of 6 months, formula or breast milk is their primary source of nutrition,” Geilmann-Parke said — and without it, it’s not long before there may be serious effects on their development.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/8LgEFvm
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