One missed meal can have detrimental effects on a child’s neurodevelopment. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports a child’s nutrition in the first two years of life is crucial to their brain development. Formula or breast milk contains the nutrients which are vital for infants not yet eating table food.
Formula is an essential need for many babies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports over 75% of moms feed their babies formula at some point during their child’s first six months of life. Breast milk is not an option for every baby, and nursing is not an option for every parent.
When a baby is born prematurely, they need the extra calories packed into a specialty formula made just for them. Babies with milk intolerance can have strong allergic reactions or become extremely irritable when given breast milk instead of hypoallergenic formula. Producing breast milk at a volume large enough to feed a baby exclusively is difficult for many mothers and impossible for some. An article published by The American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2016 determined that between 40-50% of women in the United States do not produce an adequate supply of breast milk. Additionally, many foster parents and adoptive parents simply do not have the option to breast feed.
At many stores, shelves typically stocked with formula are now empty in Oklahoma and families are panicking. Datasembly reports the nation-wide out-of-stock percentage (OOS) for formula at 43% for the week of May 8, 2022. Comparatively, the OOS percentage was between 2% and 8% in early 2021. Many families are driving to multiple stores to find formula, oftentimes not finding what they need at all. For those living in poverty, driving to multiple stores is not an option.
One in five children in Oklahoma is living in poverty. The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2021 Kids Count Profile reported 186,000 Oklahoma children living in households with income below the poverty line. Parents living in poverty sometimes do not know when their baby will have their next bottle. The formula shortage will disproportionately affect impoverished communities in Oklahoma.
Additionally, watering down formula to make it last longer is dangerous for infants. Parents and caregivers should always follow label instructions to prevent nutritional imbalances. St. Jude’s Research Hospital reports adding extra water to formula can cause slower growth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even seizures.
Oklahoma parents have several options when they are struggling to find formula:
- parents should seek out generic brands if a store is out of name brand formula, as they have the same ingredients and nutrients that babies need;
- consult your child’s pediatrician about switching to a different type of formula.
- Breast feeding parents who are struggling to produce enough milk can consult a lactation consultant.
- Qualifying families can receive breastfeeding support and formula through the Oklahoma Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Program.
- Additionally, any caregiver with children through the age of three can receive a week’s worth of food, formula, and diapers from Infant Crisis Services (ICS) four times annually.
For nearly 38 years, ICS in central Oklahoma has provided life-sustaining food, formula, diapers, and other basic necessities to babies and toddlers. ICS has two BabyMobile units that visit 20 surrounding Oklahoma counties. This nonprofit has served more than 60,000 babies and toddlers in the last three years. This impact is only possible because of the generosity of donors in the Oklahoma community.
ICS is seeing a significant uptick in clients who need food, formula, and diapers, partially due to the current formula shortage. ICS has served nearly 8,000 babies and toddlers in 2022 alone, 6,000 in the same time frame last year. The shortage has affected ICS’ ability to stock the shelves with this crucial item. Formula is an essential need for many families, and the shortage will put Oklahoma infants and their development at risk.
Miki Farris is executive director and co-founder of Infant Crisis Services.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism