If you are a parent with an infant, you are all too aware of the national baby formula shortage that has parents everywhere panicking. It's a situation that is being worked on by government officials but may take some time to sort out. Before remedies arrive, Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN) wants to share important do's and don'ts with parents on what to do when providing formula for your baby. Below, you'll find valuable information that is best for the health of your baby.

  • DON'T water down a formula to conserve it and make it last longer! Make it according to the manufacturer's instruction label. Because baby formula is specifically designed nutritionally, watering it down can compromise your baby's health by causing nutritional imbalances which may lead to serious health conditions.
  • DON'T make a homemade formula from a recipe. BHN does not recommend going the route of trying to make your own baby formula for a few reasons. Since you can't be sure the recipe includes the right amount of nutrition your baby needs, there can be ingredient amounts involved that can actually negatively affect the way your baby grows. In addition, a homemade formula can become contaminated and lead to serious infections in your baby.
  • DO try different brand names that are available on the store shelf. Dr. Monica Brané, BHN’s chief of pediatrics at BHN says that “The common rule of thumb is to choose a brand and stick with it for consistency, but for most babies, it is OK to switch to any available formula, including store brands." Like anything, there are exceptions. If your baby is on a specific extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula, such as Elecare, there is no store brand replacement.
  • DO check with your child's pediatrician if your baby is on a strict diet and you need to change formula brands because of availability issues.
  • NEW INFORMATION AS OF 5/16/22 from The American Academy of Pediatrics which just updated their recommendations saying that whole milk is an acceptable substitute for children over 6 months but it's not ideal. There is more information about that HERE that is important for parents to view.

Bassett knows parents have a lot of questions they need answered and below are some great recommended resources of information to check out. These resources are from HealthyChildren.org. answer the following common questions or topics parents have been asking about. Just click on the question to go to the answer:

What should I do if I can't find any formula? 

Relactation: Starting over with Breastfeeding 

Is Homemade Baby Formula Safe?

If you still have any unanswered questions, please talk to your child's pediatrician. In the meanwhile, just take a deep breath and remember this is a temporary situation that will hopefully be quickly resolved.

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