GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The ongoing baby formula shortage is getting worse.
Parents are facing limits on how much they can buy at the grocery store.
Alei Witkowski has an 8 month old son at home. She’s had trouble finding his formula since November, but for the past two months it’s been extra difficult to find.
“He was a pre-me so he was on a specialized formula,” said Witkowski.
Many parents coming into stores and looking for baby formula are finding the same problem: empty shelves.
“I’ve been spending almost hours calling into the stores. And when its there I have to stop what I’m doing and go right then because you don’t know who’s going to buy it,” said Witkowski.
Part of the problem stems from an Abbott Nutrition recall in mid-February for popular formula brands including Similac.
Abbott sent Fox 11 a statement about the supply shortage saying in part, “Across the U.S. we are prioritizing production of infant formula products to help replenish the supply in the market and are also air shipping in product from our FDA-registered facility in Cootehill, Ireland, on a daily basis. All of this powder product is being restocked on retail shelves on a regular basis.”
“If you can’t find any formula then what’s the solution?” asked Fox 11.
“I guess looking at store brands, but because he was a preemie it’s important to get the extra calories he needs, because it will slow down how much he gains weight,” said Witkowski.
“What we suggest is trying to find the best equivalent to what the baby is on and obviously there’s different brands out there that have slightly different variations but have similar types of formulas out there,” said ThedaCare Pediatrician, Sneha Subbarayan.
Subbarayan says things are more difficult if you have babies on specialized formula like Witkowski’s son. She says her office is getting more calls from parents asking what they should do.
Her biggest piece of advice, “Not taking shortcuts and making formula last longer by diluting it or anything like that because obviously that brings on a lot of potential life threatening consequences, not only not providing a lot of nutrition but also if you’re diluting formula that can cause issues with electrolyte levels, cause seizures, low sodium levels,” said Subbarayan.
Abbott Nutrition didn’t give Fox 11 a time frame of when this will end, but Witkowski says she and hundreds of other Northeast Wisconsin moms hope it will be soon.
ThedaCare says to make sure the formula you’re buying is FDA approved.
For information on what infants can and can’t have CLICK HERE.
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