Mass. parents are facing baby formula shortages
Bay State families continue to struggle with finding certain infant formulas, as stores’ shelves are left barren and officials urge people to not hoard the precious baby nutrients.
The combination of supply chain challenges and product recalls have led to major headaches for parents, who are scrambling to find replacements.
The baby formula outof-stock nationwide rate is now 43%, according to Datasembly’s real-time hyperlocal data analysis. Stores, including CVS, are limiting how many products people can buy — and parents are coming home from pharmacies empty-handed.
“This is a dilemma for families, there’s no question about that,” said Carole Allen, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society who has a background in pediatrics.
Allen urged families to not hoard baby formula to make sure enough can go around the community.
She also stressed it’s critical that parents do not dilute formula because that’s dangerous for babies and doesn’t give them enough nutrients.
Cow’s milk is not a good alternative, she added, because it can lead to iron deficiency for the baby.
“It’s really tough for families right now,” Allen said. “If mothers are able to switch to breastfeeding, it’s good for the baby and can free up the formula supply in general.”
The baby formula outof-stock nationwide rate of 43% is up from 30% last month.
“This issue has been compounded by supply chain challenges, product recalls and historic inflation,” said CEO of Datasembly Ben Reich.
Infant formula shortages have been an issue since last fall due to the supply chain. These shortages were exacerbated in February when Abbott recalled powdered formula manufactured in their Michigan plant.
“Following supplier challenges and increased customer demand, we currently have a limit of three baby formula products per purchase in our stores and online,” a CVS spokesperson said. “We’re continuing to work with our baby formula vendors to address this issue and we regret any inconvenience this causes our customers.”
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it anticipates ongoing supply challenges, but officials are starting to see improvements in the supply of some types of formula.
“The Department of Public Health’s local WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) programs are working closely with families to provide support and information on available options, including informing them of the temporarily expanded WIC formula list to offer comparable products for formulas that have been difficult to locate,” DPH said in a statement.
WIC families that have benefits for 12.4-ounce cans of Similac Advance powder should be able to locate the product at WICauthorized retailers. WIC families that have benefits for 12.5-ounce cans of Similac Sensitive powder may struggle finding this product.
For more information about WIC, visit www. mass.gov/orgs/women-infants-children-nutritionprogram.