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Baby formula shortage


workswithseed

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baby-formula-shortage-anxious-parents-stalking-shelves-nationwide-rcna28460

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A shortage of formula that began in the early days of the pandemic has worsened significantly in recent weeks because of labor shortages and a major product recall, creating panic and anxiety among parents across the country.

With the nationwide out-of-stock percentage at 43 percent for the week ending May 8, according to the retail analysis firm Datasembly, many families are struggling to find formula in stores and online. The delays could last eight to 10 weeks, Abbott Nutrition, the company behind the recall, announced Wednesday.

 

Many parents have become consumed with finding formula, prompting some to consider taking measures they wouldn’t normally take just so they can feed their babies. 

On social media, recipes are circulating for homemade baby formula — something the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against, calling it unsafe. The academy also cautions against diluting formula to make it last longer, which will not meet infants’ nutritional needs.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fda-warns-baby-formulas-complaints-contamination-rcna16754

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The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is investigating certain powdered infant formula following four customer reports of children contracting serious infections.

In a news release, the FDA said infections stemming from the bacterium Cronobacter sakazakii and the strain Salmonella Newport have been linked to powdered infant formula produced in Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility. 

 
 

The FDA’s investigation includes four infant illnesses in three states — Minnesota, Ohio and Texas — that possibly connect to the products and infections. 

I don't know how this hasn't been really talked about. I know that @Trey3216 asked for some help about a month ago. Are any of y'all having a hard time with finding formula?

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9 hours ago, workswithseed said:

I don't know how this hasn't been really talked about. 

Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not been talked about.

It's been discussed plenty. 

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3 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not been talked about.

It's been discussed plenty. 

I mean sure, but it's not like I knew that it'd be in a thread about global news. This one also just seems pretty important to know if others haven't seen the thread as well.

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I was raised on Karo Syrup and evaporated milk. It worked fine. I am now old. Graduated from The University of Texas with high honors so it didn't do any brain damage. Used to barefoot waterski (before I got so darn old) so it didn't do any physical damage. 

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As for the argument of just make your own formula, from the article you can see how parents would be stressed by conflicting information:

On social media, recipes are circulating for homemade baby formula — something the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against, calling it unsafe. The academy also cautions against diluting formula to make it last longer, which will not meet infants’ nutritional needs.

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16 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

As for the argument of just make your own formula, from the article you can see how parents would be stressed by conflicting information:

On social media, recipes are circulating for homemade baby formula — something the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against, calling it unsafe. The academy also cautions against diluting formula to make it last longer, which will not meet infants’ nutritional needs.

Yep, diluting formula can cause babies to have seizures.  One reason why you can't give water to a baby when they have fever.  

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https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/06/16/biomilq-raises-3point5-million-from-bill-gates-investment-firm.html

Bill Gates to the rescue!

Biomilq is targeting infant nutrition by attempting to reproduce mother's breast milk in a lab.

The start-up has just earned the backing of the world's top investors, by raising $3.5 million in Series A funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Bill Gates' investment firm focused on climate change.

The co-founders hope that the breast milk produced by Biomilq from culturing mammary epithelial cells will help reduce the carbon footprint from the global infant formula market.

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3 minutes ago, Brothahorn said:

The co-founders hope that the breast milk produced by Biomilq from culturing mammary epithelial cells will help reduce the carbon footprint from the global infant formula market.

Sounds like Willie Nelson's partnership with a biodiesel outfit at Carl's Corner. How's that working out?

https://www.news-journal.com/news/business/willies-biodiesel-dream-has-hard-awakening/article_e307be28-4c51-5bf4-8468-3ddd9ceb8096.html

Spoiler

BioWillie has also had some problems of its own making. To finance construction of Willie's Place, Nelson and his partners took out a $4.75 million loan from an outfit called SBL, described in court records as a lender of last resort.

When the group defaulted on the loan, he put up $35,000 of his own money to make a payment. As the debt rose into the millions, a federal judge rejected a plan that would have involved Nelson putting up even more cash "when asked." In 2011, Travel Centers of America bought Willie's Place in foreclosure proceedings.

Out behind the site, which is now a Petro Stopping Center, the last major component of Willie Nelson's biodiesel dream has gone up for sale. His fuel plant, a 6-acre facility capable of producing three million gallons a year, has been on the market for ten months at an asking price of $1.9 million.

Still, Nelson has not completely given up on biodiesel. Along with Bob and Kelly King, who sold Annie Nelson that first tankful, Willie has stakes in Big Island Biodiesel of Hawaii and SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel of Salem, Oregon.

He also controls the trademark for BioWillie, sold at pump stations on the islands of Maui and Hawaii.

 

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I have a three month old at home. My wife breastfeeds as much as possible, but we usually have to supplement with formula. Formula is almost impossible to find anywhere. We got lucky and found a couple of boxes of our preferred brand last weekend. We have about 2.5 weeks worth. Not real sure what we'll do if we don't find anymore before it runs out. I've started checking all the major retailers daily. 

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2 hours ago, Deej said:

So what were we feeding babies before formula?

Before modern formula was developed around the 1950's, there were really three possibilities for babies who could not breastfeed (either because the mother could not produce milk or because the baby would not latch (sometimes just because of trouble latching, sometimes because of something physical like a cleft palette)):

1) Use a wet-nurse.  This was typically a servant or a slave.  And it would usually leave the nurse low of milk, which would of course then leave her own children malnourished.  So that's not ideal.

2) Develop a substitute.  The American Indians would use a substitute using cow's milk and ground walnuts (among other things).  It kind of worked ok.  The challenge is getting the baby to ingest it when it's not coming out of the natural source.

3) The baby died.  And that was really the most common outcome.  

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Just now, Seasick Sailor said:

I have a three month old at home. My wife breastfeeds as much as possible, but we usually have to supplement with formula. Formula is almost impossible to find anywhere. We got lucky and found a couple of boxes of our preferred brand last weekend. We have about 2.5 weeks worth. Not real sure what we'll do if we don't find anymore before it runs out. I've started checking all the major retailers daily. 

As said on this thread and others, you need to be able to go into the store between 7 & 8 am, twice per week, and grab one.  IF you have parents that can do that as well, get them into the loop.  Then also buy what you can on Amazon for guaranteed delivery in June/July, and go from there.  It's an asswhipping.  We loaded up on the formula we were using right before her 3 month appt, and we had to switch formulas.  Luckily a buddy is using that formula and he paid me market rate for it.  But starting over again was killer.   We've got about 1.5 months worth right now as a result of a hookup from a pediatrician friend and my family rallying and getting it when they see one.  

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11 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Many families need formula. Any numbers on what percentage of formula consumption is by families who don't fully need it but use it for convenience (versus breastmilk)?

Even if you chose formula over breastmilk for convenience I don't think women can flip back to start producing breastmilk.  Their body quits lactating when you don't use it.  So those families are still stuck needing formula.

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Why aren't we just sitting back and letting the free market police itself?
Same reason those responsible will never face any consequences. Government.

In a free market , Surly could start it's own baby formula factory without permits, licenses, inspections and all that jazz.
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3 hours ago, Hermanator said:

This is one of those things where if you have an infant you know about it. If your kids have an infant you know about it. 

Everyone else doesn't really care that much. 

Besides, this is Texas. Stop complaining and puree some fucking steaks and potatoes and chili and bulk those little fuckers right up. 

WWS didn’t care about it until the bat signal went up this week.

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13 minutes ago, Brothahorn said:

Same reason those responsible will never face any consequences. Government.

In a free market , Surly could start it's own baby formula factory without permits, licenses, inspections and all that jazz.

Upton Sinclair is salivating

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Have a one year old, and living in a small town with few options is/was rough - routinely made trips to larger cities to find the same bare shelves.  Finding a large can was unheard of, hell it still is.  We've graduated to whole milk thankfully so no longer an issue. 

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31 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Even if you chose formula over breastmilk for convenience I don't think women can flip back to start producing breastmilk.  Their body quits lactating when you don't use it.  So those families are still stuck needing formula.

Yes, of course. I'm thinking about public policy approaches for the future, not an end to the current crisis.

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2 hours ago, Starfleet Command said:

Shouldn't someone go to jail for stuff like this?

 

Let's not be too hasty here, Abbot does a lot of good as well.

 

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Abbott is among the top three medical device companies in lobbying spending. Abbott spent $8,390,000 in 2020 and 2021 on federal lobbying activities. Since 2010, Abbott has spent $46.1 million on federal lobbying.

 

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24 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Yes, of course. I'm thinking about public policy approaches for the future, not an end to the current crisis.

Got you.  I'd be curious on the breakdowns as well.  From having twin 11 year olds and a 7 year old, breastfeeding has been pushed as the best option since i've been part of those conversations.  I still think there is a stigma regarding feeding/pumping in public though even though it's protected.  My guess working moms give it up pretty fast because of that.   

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Completely agree. And I'm asking if anyone has numbers because I genuinely don't know what they are. It may not be worth a public policy push. But if the numbers support the idea that we can reduce the dependence on formula in big enough numbers then we can guard against a crisis like this one in the future. Although the way the world works it would just happen again after companies drop supply because of reduced demand so maybe it's not worth it anyway.

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