South Tidewater News

Formula recalls and supply chain issues have made it difficult for families to find formulas for their babies.

Here’s what to do, and what not to do, if you are having trouble finding the formula your baby uses:

• If you’re pregnant or recently had a baby, consider breastfeeding your child. Seek expert support from a lactation consultant and your pediatrician on how to maximize your own milk supply.
• For those using formula, it is generally safe to transition from one brand of formula to another if that is all you can find. If you’re using a specialty formula, and can’t find the one your baby uses, talk with your pediatrician about different formula options. Your doctor may suggest a substitute formula or a less specialized formula. 
• For information about formula substitutions, click on this Virginia WIC site.
• Check grocery, drug, department, warehouse stores; formula company websites; Women, Infants, and Children program.
• Check social media groups dedicated to infant feeding and formula to see if members have ideas about where to find formula. Make sure to confirm any advice received with your pediatrician. We do not recommend informal sharing of human milk because it is not screened for safety or pasteurized to prevent transmission of disease, bacteria, or infection.
• Do not take your child off formula completely unless advised by your doctor.
• When feeding your infant, place only the amount that your baby will consume in the bottle so as not to waste any of your supply.
• Do not substitute rice cereal, Pedialyte, Enfalyte, water, juice, or food products for formula. Doing so may cause illness.
• We advise against feeding your infant younger than 1 year of age regular cow’s milk. Also, avoid milk alternatives such as almond or other plant milks as they are often low in protein and minerals.
• Do not dilute formula with extra water, as that may cause illness as well.
• Do not make or use homemade formula as it may lack essential nutrients for proper growth and development.
• If you can afford it, buy formula online until store shortages ease. Purchase from well-recognized distributor and pharmacies rather than individually sold or auction sites.
• If you are partially breastfeeding, consider transitioning back to full breastfeeding while the shortage remains.
• For more tips, check this blog from the American Academy of Pediatrics. 
• You can also check this fact sheet from U.S. Health and Human Services that includes manufacturers’ hotlines.

Requests for human donor milk have increased at The King’s Daughters Milk Bank at CHKD. We’d like to remind the public:

• The primary mission of The King’s Daughters Milk Bank at CHKD is to provide pasteurized donor human milk to premature and critically ill infants in hospitals.
• Hospitals are also affected by the national formula shortage and have increased their regular milk bank orders to meet patient needs.
• The pasteurized donor human milk that accredited milk banks provide is medical grade. The donors undergo thorough screening and the pasteurized donor human milk is processed, pasteurized, tested, and analyzed.
• It is critical to note that just like blood banks, milk banks also work with limited supplies and are required to prioritize treatments to our nation’s highest risk, hospitalized patients. While we do provide donor milk by prescription to outpatients in certain cases of medical need, milk banks are not able to meet the demand for all infants. Milk bank supplies ebb and flow so triaging standards and policies are critical.
• If you are interested in donating human milk to help answer the critical need for donor human milk, call (757) 668-6455 or this toll-free number, (844) 798-6455 (MILK).
• Please understand that the milk bank is extremely busy during this time, so please be patient as we work to process donations that are critical to babies’ health.

Original source can be found here.