1
00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:07,240
Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain

2
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,640
Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum here. The infant formula shortage in the

3
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:13,680
Speaker 1: United States came to a head in the spring of

4
00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:18,120
Speaker 1: two as a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions combined

5
00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,080
Speaker 1: with a recall of several major brands of powdered formula,

6
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,760
Speaker 1: so a combo of issues both within and outside of

7
00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,880
Speaker 1: the industry. All of this was further exacerbated because many

8
00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:34,479
Speaker 1: parents stockpiled powdered formula during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The

9
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,000
Speaker 1: brand Abbot Nutrition recalled several brands of its powdered formula

10
00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,199
Speaker 1: and shut down its Michigan production facility when federal officials

11
00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,760
Speaker 1: found that four babies with bacterial infections, two of whom died,

12
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,040
Speaker 1: had consumed products made at that facility, and since Abbott

13
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,160
Speaker 1: is one of the companies producing most of the US

14
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,360
Speaker 1: formula supply, the recall took much of the inventory of

15
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,160
Speaker 1: formula off of shelves. In some states, between forty and

16
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,240
Speaker 1: of infant formula ducks were pulled from stores. The President,

17
00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,440
Speaker 1: Joe Biden announced on May twelfth, two that the federal

18
00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,959
Speaker 1: government is working with manufacturers to increase production of formula

19
00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,759
Speaker 1: and help families access existing stock. But hungry babies don't

20
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,399
Speaker 1: care about supply chains, inventory and price gouging. They just

21
00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,400
Speaker 1: want to be fed and their parents want to feed them.

22
00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,200
Speaker 1: They also have questions like can you just add a

23
00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,639
Speaker 1: little more water to make the formula last a little longer?

24
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,360
Speaker 1: Is it possible to make your own formula? If so,

25
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,160
Speaker 1: what's the recipe some parents have attempted to restart breastfeeding.

26
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,240
Speaker 1: For the article, this episode is based on How Stuff Works,

27
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,440
Speaker 1: spoke with Dr Bob Shelley, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

28
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,080
Speaker 1: and Director of Admissions on the Savannah campus of Mercer

29
00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,960
Speaker 1: University School of Medicine. Shelley is also a pediatrician by

30
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:53,560
Speaker 1: training who practiced in Savannah from until Unlike any good doctor,

31
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,240
Speaker 1: and he's extremely sympathetic to the situation caregivers find themselves

32
00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,560
Speaker 1: in and encourages them first and foremost to seek the

33
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,560
Speaker 1: advice of their pediatrician or other healthcare provider. They can

34
00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,720
Speaker 1: give you the best advice for your individual situation, he said.

35
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 1: If parents speak to their pediatrician, they may be able

36
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,760
Speaker 1: to assist them in finding formula and get them samples

37
00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,360
Speaker 1: or let them know where formula seems to be in stock,

38
00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,040
Speaker 1: so I would encourage families to do that. Shelley says

39
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,000
Speaker 1: that for those caregivers who don't have a healthcare provider,

40
00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,600
Speaker 1: the local Women, Infants and Children Office may also be

41
00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,840
Speaker 1: able to suggest places to look, but he says to

42
00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,120
Speaker 1: put your smartphone and social media to work for you too.

43
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,800
Speaker 1: A quote. The companies that make Similac and infamil have

44
00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,600
Speaker 1: apparently developed apps that parents can download. These apps are

45
00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,560
Speaker 1: supposed to be able to assist families in finding the formula.

46
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,640
Speaker 1: While there was a recall on Similac some time ago,

47
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,480
Speaker 1: the Similact that's in stores now should be completely safe

48
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,119
Speaker 1: to use as long as it's not reached its expiration date.

49
00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,880
Speaker 1: I'm told their Facebook groups where people help each other

50
00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 1: find formula as well. However, if you do find formula,

51
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,639
Speaker 1: please don't buy more than you need. The American Academy

52
00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,120
Speaker 1: of Pediatrics or a a P suggests parents buy no

53
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,880
Speaker 1: more than a ten day to two weeks supply to

54
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:18,120
Speaker 1: help ease the shortage, and Shelly is adamant on one point.

55
00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,960
Speaker 1: Stick to buying formula domestically. He said, I would certainly

56
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:27,280
Speaker 1: not recommend purchasing formula from international markets. The FDA has

57
00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:32,160
Speaker 1: stringent guidelines for formula and you would be losing those protections. Also,

58
00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,520
Speaker 1: don't water down your supply. A formula is exactly that,

59
00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,560
Speaker 1: a complex recipe of essential ingredients and nutrients meant to

60
00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,680
Speaker 1: be mixed with a precise amount of water. Shelley said,

61
00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,600
Speaker 1: we really do not recommend watering down formula. The babies

62
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:52,320
Speaker 1: will not be getting enough nutrition. Nutrition for babies is

63
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,680
Speaker 1: essential to proper growth and development, both physical and mental.

64
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,400
Speaker 1: Shelley said, we would generally also advise against switching cow's

65
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,240
Speaker 1: milk or plant based milk. The Federal Drug Administration also

66
00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,840
Speaker 1: advises against parents and caregivers making their own baby formula

67
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,240
Speaker 1: because the recipes lack vital nutrients infants need to grow.

68
00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,240
Speaker 1: Shelley says that whole cow's milk can be an acceptable

69
00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,360
Speaker 1: substitute for formula, but only for a brief and short

70
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,280
Speaker 1: period and only for babies who are older than six

71
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,599
Speaker 1: months and who have already been on cow's milk based formula.

72
00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:28,919
Speaker 1: But he warns caregivers who go this route to be

73
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,960
Speaker 1: very cautious. He said, families really need to be careful

74
00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,840
Speaker 1: doing this and be certain their child is on plenty

75
00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,160
Speaker 1: of foods containing iron, as babies drinking a large amount

76
00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,920
Speaker 1: of cow's milk can become iron deficient. Again, we would

77
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,480
Speaker 1: only suggest doing this for a very short time and

78
00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,559
Speaker 1: do not use low fat milk. Infants need the extra

79
00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,839
Speaker 1: fat for brain development. Okay, but what about switching formulas,

80
00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,680
Speaker 1: like from milk based to soy based, or just to

81
00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,800
Speaker 1: a different brand. The APE says that foremost babies, it's

82
00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,400
Speaker 1: fine to switch unless they take a specialized formula. So

83
00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,320
Speaker 1: if your baby drinks and name brand milk based formula,

84
00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,039
Speaker 1: you can totally switch to a store brand milk based

85
00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,000
Speaker 1: formula or from a milk based to a soy based

86
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,719
Speaker 1: formula and vice versa. But if your baby is on

87
00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,280
Speaker 1: a partially hydrolyzed sensitive formula, and talk to your child's

88
00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:25,480
Speaker 1: healthcare provider before switching. Also, while they're not in every state,

89
00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,920
Speaker 1: breast milk donors are sometimes available through the Human Milk

90
00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,800
Speaker 1: Bank Association of North America. This life giving service is

91
00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:36,440
Speaker 1: typically offered to caregivers of premature or sick children whose

92
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,320
Speaker 1: caregivers are unable to breastfeed them because of stress, medications,

93
00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:45,080
Speaker 1: or other complications. Meanwhile, if you have breast fed in

94
00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,080
Speaker 1: the recent past, you may be able to restart successfully.

95
00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,479
Speaker 1: Of course, milk production and consumption on the baby's part

96
00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,320
Speaker 1: isn't automatic. It's an individual biological process and everybody's body

97
00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:02,240
Speaker 1: is different. Shelley recommends contact acting a lactation consultant. It

98
00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,400
Speaker 1: may require pumping or hand expressing eight to twelve times

99
00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,080
Speaker 1: a day for twenty to thirty minutes, and re encouraging

100
00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,960
Speaker 1: your baby to latch and suckle before and after bottle feeding,

101
00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,680
Speaker 1: and instead of using a pacifire in order to build

102
00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:21,400
Speaker 1: your milk supply. Today's episode is based on the article

103
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,640
Speaker 1: what to Do when You're out of baby Formula on

104
00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,480
Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com, written by Patty Resmussen. The

105
00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,400
Speaker 1: brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio in

106
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,640
Speaker 1: partnership with how stuff Works dot Com, and it's produced

107
00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,600
Speaker 1: by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio

108
00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,520
Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

109
00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:37,920
Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.