WEBVTT - What Can You Do When You Run Out of Baby Formula?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum here. The infant formula shortage in the

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<v Speaker 1>United States came to a head in the spring of

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<v Speaker 1>two as a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions combined

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<v Speaker 1>with a recall of several major brands of powdered formula,

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<v Speaker 1>so a combo of issues both within and outside of

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<v Speaker 1>the industry. All of this was further exacerbated because many

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<v Speaker 1>parents stockpiled powdered formula during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The

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<v Speaker 1>brand Abbot Nutrition recalled several brands of its powdered formula

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<v Speaker 1>and shut down its Michigan production facility when federal officials

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<v Speaker 1>found that four babies with bacterial infections, two of whom died,

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<v Speaker 1>had consumed products made at that facility, and since Abbott

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<v Speaker 1>is one of the companies producing most of the US

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<v Speaker 1>formula supply, the recall took much of the inventory of

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<v Speaker 1>formula off of shelves. In some states, between forty and

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<v Speaker 1>of infant formula ducks were pulled from stores. The President,

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden announced on May twelfth, two that the federal

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<v Speaker 1>government is working with manufacturers to increase production of formula

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<v Speaker 1>and help families access existing stock. But hungry babies don't

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<v Speaker 1>care about supply chains, inventory and price gouging. They just

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<v Speaker 1>want to be fed and their parents want to feed them.

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<v Speaker 1>They also have questions like can you just add a

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<v Speaker 1>little more water to make the formula last a little longer?

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<v Speaker 1>Is it possible to make your own formula? If so,

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<v Speaker 1>what's the recipe some parents have attempted to restart breastfeeding.

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<v Speaker 1>For the article, this episode is based on How Stuff Works,

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<v Speaker 1>spoke with Dr Bob Shelley, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

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<v Speaker 1>and Director of Admissions on the Savannah campus of Mercer

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<v Speaker 1>University School of Medicine. Shelley is also a pediatrician by

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<v Speaker 1>training who practiced in Savannah from until Unlike any good doctor,

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<v Speaker 1>and he's extremely sympathetic to the situation caregivers find themselves

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<v Speaker 1>in and encourages them first and foremost to seek the

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<v Speaker 1>advice of their pediatrician or other healthcare provider. They can

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<v Speaker 1>give you the best advice for your individual situation, he said.

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<v Speaker 1>If parents speak to their pediatrician, they may be able

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<v Speaker 1>to assist them in finding formula and get them samples

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<v Speaker 1>or let them know where formula seems to be in stock,

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<v Speaker 1>so I would encourage families to do that. Shelley says

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<v Speaker 1>that for those caregivers who don't have a healthcare provider,

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<v Speaker 1>the local Women, Infants and Children Office may also be

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<v Speaker 1>able to suggest places to look, but he says to

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<v Speaker 1>put your smartphone and social media to work for you too.

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<v Speaker 1>A quote. The companies that make Similac and infamil have

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<v Speaker 1>apparently developed apps that parents can download. These apps are

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to be able to assist families in finding the formula.

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<v Speaker 1>While there was a recall on Similac some time ago,

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<v Speaker 1>the Similact that's in stores now should be completely safe

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<v Speaker 1>to use as long as it's not reached its expiration date.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm told their Facebook groups where people help each other

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<v Speaker 1>find formula as well. However, if you do find formula,

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<v Speaker 1>please don't buy more than you need. The American Academy

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<v Speaker 1>of Pediatrics or a a P suggests parents buy no

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<v Speaker 1>more than a ten day to two weeks supply to

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<v Speaker 1>help ease the shortage, and Shelly is adamant on one point.

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<v Speaker 1>Stick to buying formula domestically. He said, I would certainly

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<v Speaker 1>not recommend purchasing formula from international markets. The FDA has

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<v Speaker 1>stringent guidelines for formula and you would be losing those protections. Also,

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<v Speaker 1>don't water down your supply. A formula is exactly that,

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<v Speaker 1>a complex recipe of essential ingredients and nutrients meant to

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<v Speaker 1>be mixed with a precise amount of water. Shelley said,

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<v Speaker 1>we really do not recommend watering down formula. The babies

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<v Speaker 1>will not be getting enough nutrition. Nutrition for babies is

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<v Speaker 1>essential to proper growth and development, both physical and mental.

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<v Speaker 1>Shelley said, we would generally also advise against switching cow's

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<v Speaker 1>milk or plant based milk. The Federal Drug Administration also

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<v Speaker 1>advises against parents and caregivers making their own baby formula

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<v Speaker 1>because the recipes lack vital nutrients infants need to grow.

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<v Speaker 1>Shelley says that whole cow's milk can be an acceptable

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<v Speaker 1>substitute for formula, but only for a brief and short

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<v Speaker 1>period and only for babies who are older than six

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<v Speaker 1>months and who have already been on cow's milk based formula.

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<v Speaker 1>But he warns caregivers who go this route to be

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<v Speaker 1>very cautious. He said, families really need to be careful

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<v Speaker 1>doing this and be certain their child is on plenty

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<v Speaker 1>of foods containing iron, as babies drinking a large amount

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<v Speaker 1>of cow's milk can become iron deficient. Again, we would

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<v Speaker 1>only suggest doing this for a very short time and

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<v Speaker 1>do not use low fat milk. Infants need the extra

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<v Speaker 1>fat for brain development. Okay, but what about switching formulas,

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<v Speaker 1>like from milk based to soy based, or just to

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<v Speaker 1>a different brand. The APE says that foremost babies, it's

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<v Speaker 1>fine to switch unless they take a specialized formula. So

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<v Speaker 1>if your baby drinks and name brand milk based formula,

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<v Speaker 1>you can totally switch to a store brand milk based

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<v Speaker 1>formula or from a milk based to a soy based

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<v Speaker 1>formula and vice versa. But if your baby is on

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<v Speaker 1>a partially hydrolyzed sensitive formula, and talk to your child's

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<v Speaker 1>healthcare provider before switching. Also, while they're not in every state,

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<v Speaker 1>breast milk donors are sometimes available through the Human Milk

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<v Speaker 1>Bank Association of North America. This life giving service is

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<v Speaker 1>typically offered to caregivers of premature or sick children whose

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<v Speaker 1>caregivers are unable to breastfeed them because of stress, medications,

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<v Speaker 1>or other complications. Meanwhile, if you have breast fed in

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<v Speaker 1>the recent past, you may be able to restart successfully.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, milk production and consumption on the baby's part

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<v Speaker 1>isn't automatic. It's an individual biological process and everybody's body

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<v Speaker 1>is different. Shelley recommends contact acting a lactation consultant. It

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<v Speaker 1>may require pumping or hand expressing eight to twelve times

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<v Speaker 1>a day for twenty to thirty minutes, and re encouraging

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<v Speaker 1>your baby to latch and suckle before and after bottle feeding,

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<v Speaker 1>and instead of using a pacifire in order to build

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<v Speaker 1>your milk supply. Today's episode is based on the article

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<v Speaker 1>what to Do when You're out of baby Formula on

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<v Speaker 1>how stuff Works dot com, written by Patty Resmussen. The

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio in

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<v Speaker 1>partnership with how stuff Works dot Com, and it's produced

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