Study finds baby formula shortage led to many families using 'unsafe' practices

AUSTIN (KXAN) – In a study recently released in BMC Pediatrics, researchers found that many families, especially lower-income ones, engaged in risky infant feeding practices to cope with the 2022 infant formula shortage. 

Due to COVID-19 supply chain disruptions, as well as some big brand recalls, seeing empty baby formula shelves in 2022 was not uncommon. Researchers found the shortage led to many families turning to harmful practices – such as diluting formula with water and using shared unregulated breast milk – to cope. 

During the shortage, the researchers found the number of families who started watering down their formula increased from 2 to 29%, and the number of families who used human milk acquired in “informal sharing” increased from 5 to 26%. The researchers found nearly half of the over 2,000 study participants used a risky feed practice during the pandemic. 

More than half of American infants receive formula exclusively or as a supplement to breast milk by the time they reach three months old, according to Kaiser. 

“When we dilute formula, that actually changes the nutritional components of what the child is getting for that feeding. If the formula is dose-dependent, the amount of formula mixed in with the water is going to create the perfect balance of hydration and nutrition for the baby,” Abrie McCoy, an international board-certified lactation consultant for Simplifed, said.

McCoy said when the formula is diluted, the infant won’t receive all the nutrients they need, “but also they could be getting more water than they actually need and can actually hurt them this early on,” she continued. 

“If they're not getting the right amount of nutrition, they could end up getting malnourished over time, especially if it's continuing for as long as this formula shortage has happened,” she said.

Human Milk Banks

Before milk goes to a human milk bank, it's pasteurized and tested for diseases. Milk at one of these banks is typically reserved for babies who must rely exclusively on human milk and have mothers who have trouble producing it. Still, the researchers said these banks had an increase in demand during the formula shortage. 

“Informal human milk sharing has become a rapidly growing infant feeding practice in the U.S,” the researchers wrote. “There are high health risks associated with feeding infants human milk from informal sharing, including risks for transmission of communicable diseases such as HIV, improper collection and storage or the risk of obtaining adulterated milk,” they continued. 

They wrote there is a need for more human milk banks around the U.S. Currently, there are only 28, including the Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin. Meanwhile, Brazil, which has over 100 million fewer people than the U.S., has 228. 

What to do instead

McCoy said if you are low on baby formula to check in with a pediatrician, a lactation professional or research available resources through WIC Breastfeeding Support.  

“Babies are developing so much in the first year. Their brain is developing, their bodies developing – if they aren't getting the nutrition they need during this time, it can set them back,” McCoy said.

“We want to make sure that they're getting the amount they need so that they get the best start in life,” she continued.