Infant formula shortages forced some parents to feed their babies in less healthy ways

One-third of families who relied on formula to feed their babies during the COVID-19 pandemic were forced by severe infant formula shortages to resort to suboptimal feeding practices that can harm infant health, according to our research published in the journal Maternal and Child Nutrition.

Infant formula shortages left 70% of U.S. store shelves bare in May 2022, with 10 states reporting out-of-stock rates of 90% or greater.

As psychology researchers who study breast-feeding, we were concerned about what this situation meant for the safety of infants. With two colleagues who focus on public health, we conducted an online survey of more than 300 infant caregivers in the United States to understand how many families had trouble obtaining infant formula and what they fed their babies when they did.

Considering the scope of the formula shortages, we were not surprised that 31% of the formula-feeding families we surveyed reported challenges obtaining infant formula, the most common being that it was sold out and they had to travel to more than one store.

But their babies still needed to eat. Being unable to get their hands on infant formula pushed caregivers to potentially unhealthy or even dangerous stopgaps. For example, 11% of the formula-feeding families surveyed said they practiced “formula-stretching” — diluting infant formula with extra water to make formula supplies last longer, which provides a baby with less nutrition in each bottle.

Furthermore, 10% of formula-feeding families reported substituting cereal for infant formula in bottles, 8% prepared smaller bottles, and 6% skipped formula feedings for their infants, which all provide infants with less nutritious meals.

Exclusively breast-feeding families were insulated against these supply disruptions. Almost half of breast-feeding families surveyed reported that COVID-19 lockdowns actually allowed them time to increase their milk supply.

Our study suggests that the waves of formula shortages from 2020 to 2022 in the U.S. were more than just an inconvenience for parents. Instead, this study is the first to document that formula shortages likely had real and widespread adverse impacts on infant nutrition, given that a large proportion of parents surveyed resorted to feeding their baby in ways that can harm infant health.

For instance, studies have shown that adding extra water to “stretch” formula can result in infant malnutrition, growth and cognitive delays, and even seizures and death in extreme cases. Adding w to bottles increases the risk of choking-related deaths and severe constipation. Moreover, feeding infants age-inappropriate foods can have lifelong consequences for cognitive development and growth, leading to a higher risk for chronic illnesses such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Given that about 75% of infants in the U.S. are fed with infant formula in the first six months of life, formula shortages could put roughly 2.7 million babies each year at risk for suboptimal feeding practices.

A perfect storm of formula recalls, ingredient shortages, and shipping delays contributed to COVID-related formula shortages in the U.S. Although President Joe Biden’s administration has taken some steps to improve distribution infrastructure, the U.S. does not currently have infant nutrition disaster plans in place beyond commonsense recommendations for individuals.

Unfortunately, climate change will likely increase the risk of formula-supply disruptions over the next century because of the increased frequency of natural disasters that affect ports, highways, and factories.

The best way to protect infant nutrition from supply chain issues is to promote and support breast-feeding, which provides optimal infant nutrition and insulates infants from those disruptions. Because not all babies can be breast-fed, though, governmental policies could help prevent and address acute formula shortages and ensure equitable formula access for all.

Jessica A. Marino is a doctoral student in health psychology at the University of California-Merced, where Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook is an assistant professor of psychology.

This article is republished from The Conversation.