Baby Formula Shortage
Hissen Hassan
“WAAAAAA. WAAAAAA.” What is that sound? It sounds like…babies crying? Babies throughout the nation are hungry. Sadly, their parents cannot make their hunger subside. In the United States, there is currently a baby formula shortage.
The baby formula shortage is a result of contamination. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found problems within the formula which, if consumed, could have made millions of babies sick. Some formulas had bacteria which would have lead to serious infections—or even death. A major baby formula factory was shut down in Michigan because of this contamination. It produced about 25% of the United States’ baby formula. Due to this, there has been a major formula shortage.
Formula is vital for babies. Nearly 65% of mothers rely on formula to feed their children. Baby formula provides infants with nutrients and vitamins necessary for growth and development. Also, it is often their only food source. Imagine if one day, there was a complete food shortage. You can’t find any of your food. Crazy, right?
Parents have become so desperate that some have driven hundreds of miles to find formula. Most of the time, that didn’t work. The shortage was extreme, with nearly 40% of formula brands out of stock. This has been occurring not in a single, isolated area, but the whole nation! Even if parents found formula, the fear that it might be contaminated put many parents in a difficult spot. During the week of May 22, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula was 70% nationwide. The week prior, the national out-of-stock rate was 40%. To feed their babies, parents have begun making their own baby formula at home. Many pediatricians began reaching out on social media to explain the benefits of baby formula and explaining how to safely prepare formula at home to help these parents.
Another factor contributing to the shortage is global relations. The state of the dispute between Ukraine and Russia is connected to the baby food shortage. A key ingredient for baby formula is sunflower seed oil. This oil primarily comes from Ukraine. Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the shipments of sunflower seed oil have slowed. This makes it nearly impossible to produce baby formula.
President Joe Biden took emergency measures recently by having The White House fly out one million containers of baby formula. However, this has not resolved the problem. Parents are still worried. This is an ongoing problem that seems to have no concrete solution. Hopefully, a solution will soon be found—with full-tummied babies and worry-free parents.
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