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The maker of Ashley Hernandez’s baby food of choice for her two daughters said it’s out of stock on its website. Listings on eBay showed it would cost $120 for a single box. So when he found a seller selling 10 boxes for $40 each, he expressed his desperation.
Ms. Hernandez, 35, from Dallas, began the message, “I have two children.” “I can’t find it. I can buy this today. I can pay cash.”
Parents across the country are struggling to keep up with the nationwide baby food shortage – a problem that has gotten worse lately Recall by Abbott Nutrition, baby food manufacturer. The recall comes after at least four babies were hospitalized with bacterial infections and two died after consuming their products. US Food and Drug Administration I said.
“In an already challenging situation of global supply shortages, we know that our recent recall has caused additional stress and anxiety,” Abbott said. Said. expression last month. “We work hard to help moms, dads and caregivers get the high-quality nutrition they need for their babies.”
Now, a few major retailers looking to maintain inventory are limiting how much baby food their customers can buy.
Pharmacy chain CVS said in a statement that “following supplier challenges and increased customer demand” buyers will be limited to three infant formula products per purchase in stores and online.
Walgreens reiterated this in a statement, saying it introduced a three-item limit to “help improve inventory.” Target said it has a four-item limit online, but no in-store limit.
Costco, which didn’t immediately respond to an email asking for comment on Saturday, had several threads about formulas listed on its site. Web site.
“The unprecedented scope of infant formula recalls has serious consequences for babies and new parents,” Brian Dittmeier, senior director of public policy at the National WIC Association, said Saturday. The nonprofit provides nutritional assistance to women, babies and children across the country.
Mr. Dittmeier said Abbott Nutrition is the exclusive supplier to more than half of WIC agencies nationwide, meaning that “this is not an isolated issue.”
“Every day we hear from parents who are hurt, angry, worried and scared,” she said. “Your babies’ lives are in danger.”
In retail stores, the shelves are often empty. Ms. Hernandez said online parents create Facebook groups to alert each other about replenishing inventory or bargains – both are rare nowadays.
“This is a nightmare,” he said.
In a Facebook group called “Baby food for sale”, one mom on Saturday begged for a specific brand: “Searching for Similac NeoSure in the Arizona area! Please help! I’m almost out.”
“Unlike other food recalls, the shortage in baby food supply is affecting an important and even specialized food source for infants,” said Mr Dittmeier. Malnutrition “can have long-term health implications,” he added.
Datasembly, a retail software company, I said It reported that as of April, about 31 percent of formula products nationwide were out of stock. In seven states – Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington – the rate was even worse for the week of April 3, at 40 percent.
The famine also places a financial burden on families who are already grappling with a spike in inflation. office US Surgeon General He said on his website that families often spend up to $1,500 on first-year infant formula.
Mr Dittmeier said the deficiency is “especially acute for infants who need special formulas to address allergies, gastrointestinal issues or metabolic disorders.”
Ms. Hernandez said her daughters, one 6 months old and the other 3 years old, both need such special formulas.
The seller he was texting sold him 10 boxes, but estimated it would only take five or six weeks. Ms Hernandez said the formula she usually buys is EleCare’s one of the Abbott products recalled in February.
Affected products have already been bought from stores, but parents can use An online search through Abbott Nutrition to check the status of the products they need.
The American Council on Infant Nutrition said in a statement. expression She said the formula companies are committed to “making sure there is a constant availability of infant formula for every baby” during the famine.
But Mr. Dittmeier said manufacturers’ assurances of expedited production did not result in the products reaching store shelves. “Every day this crisis continues, parents become more anxious and desperate to find out what they need to feed their babies,” she said.
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