Nationwide baby formula shortage

[lady_*nix]

This has apparently been going on for weeks and somehow it was not frontpage news until now, am I missing something?

https://www.thecut.com/2022/05/the-baby ... worse.html

It says worlds to me that this isn't being considered some kind of national emergency. Parents are having to ration or dilute formula in some cases. We're already going to see the effect of this on the new generation's health in decades to come. And maybe I haven't been paying attention, but I haven't heard a single word on this from the Biden administration. What the fuck? I get that maternal labor and childcare is undervalued here but what the fuck.

[Rommie]

Yeah it's been a hot topic on baby/pregnancy forums for awhile now, but looks like it's finally hitting the mainstream. Basically it's the classic problem whereby one factory was producing a lot of the formula, and they did a voluntary recall of several brands. But of course it takes a little while to really notice a shortage like this, it doesn't happen all at once everywhere.

The weird thing is this is one of few products where we don't rely on much from abroad/ China, because Chinese families desperately try to buy formula from abroad whenever possible after some batches were basically filled with poison and babies died. (You'll often see limits on the amount of formula one can buy in areas frequented by Chinese tourists- I certainly did in Toronto.) Obviously no idea if that is still a thing now that tourism from China doesn't happen much any more, but my point is stuff like this happens in baby products far more than you'd think, unless you know a baby (there was a baby food crisis/recall in 2020 I remember, for example).

[lady_*nix]

Thanks for the context, Rommie, and gods above that's fucking bleak.

[Thumper]

Not trying to be flippant, but what's baby formula? Never used it and neither did any of my friends.

[Rommie]

The stuff you give a baby if you don't breastfeed when they're <1 year and can't drink normal milk yet. Maybe it had a different name when TK was little? Because it was definitely around, I was a formula baby in the 80s.

[lady_*nix]

Well, Biden is finally doing something I guess:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... is-parents

also, Jesus Christ

The Biden administration is working with states to make it easier for Wic recipients to buy different sizes of formula that their benefits might not currently cover.

The way we do welfare in this country is so fucking evil. Just give parents the formula they need FFS instead of punishing their children with means testing and shit.

[lady_*nix]

Pres Biden invokes the Defense Production Act to help deal with the shortage:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... uction-act

IDK why the fuck that took so long... J/K I know exactly why.

[Thumper]

The stuff you give a baby if you don't breastfeed when they're <1 year and can't drink normal milk yet. Maybe it had a different name when TK was little? Because it was definitely around, I was a formula baby in the 80s.

As far as I remember, The Kid went from breast milk to food. I think there was a time when she was doing both. I don't remember formula. I'll check with Mrs. T.

[SciFiFisher]

Not trying to be flippant, but what's baby formula? Never used it and neither did any of my friends.

It is modified cows milk or in some cases soy milk. It is super fortified with vitamins and minerals to mimic breast milk. There is a third type made with a different protein for babies that are allergic to milk protein and/or soy protein. That is the short answer.

[Thumper]

Actually, I was being flippant. We never used it and not sure any of our friends did with their kids. I'm looking forward to asking.

[lady_*nix]

@Thumper

In that case, why the flippancy? Have an opinion you'd like to share?

[lady_*nix]

And the reason for the bacterial contamination and Abbott factory shutdown: profits were used for stock buybacks instead of replacing failing equipment.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... er-profits

Babies literally dying so that rich men can pad their wallets. How typically fucking American.

Also I didn't know this bit:

But long-term solutions will require more bold steps, Tkacik said, like a ban on buybacks and restrictions on dividends. She acknowledged such ideas are dismissed as “socialistic”, but noted buybacks were illegal until 1982 because they were considered a form of manipulation. Annual buyback program expenditures among S&P 500 companies are often exceeding research and development or other investment, Tkacik said.

So that thing where pharma companies spend massive amounts of money on buybacks instead of drug research? More Reagan bullshit. Every time I think my disgust with that man has reached its limit, I learn something new about how awful he was.

[pumpkinpi]

Actually, I was being flippant. We never used it and not sure any of our friends did with their kids. I'm looking forward to asking.

Some reasons you might hear from parents who use formula: the baby won't latch, the baby is adopted or born by surrogate so has no access to breast milk, baby goes to daycare while still breastfeeding and mom can't pump enough/at all, mom doesn't want to breast feed. All valid reasons! We were scenario 3. I went back to work when both kids were 3 months. I tried to pump 2-3 times a day but man that's a chore!
I can't imagine what it's like for families who rely on formula now.

[Rommie]

Yeah, I was one of twins, so there wasn't gonna be enough for both of us. It happens.

Funny thing, I went onto Instagram for the first time in awhile (never quite caught onto it but some friends post there exclusively), and noticed the gal from high school who has tens of thousands of followers there from being an anti-vaxxer is now posting rabidly anti-formula messages, all about how "rocket fuel and high levels of metals have been found in baby formula." Of course, she literally just cites herself at the bottom of the post for the source, and I'm tempted to post "so says the one girl who was expelled for failing too many classes at our school, like high school biology" but somehow haven't done that yet. But yeah I guess if you're a crunchy mom snake oil salesman, it's a good cause to pivot to? (People were also sharing "homemade formula" recipes in the comments, which seems legitimately dangerous and taking advantage of others' panic.)

[Thumper]

Pumpkinpi, thanks for the info and for sharing. I haven't had the chance to talk with Mrs. T about it. It was over 21 years ago. I remember lots and lots of pumping. We were at a NASCAR race when The Kid was 3 months old. She had left a cooler of breast milk for grandma to administer. And she was constantly pumping at the campsite, in the truck before the race, etc. We had a separate cooler just for storing the stuff. I just don't recall it lasting that long. I think The Kid was eating food within 6 months. My flippancy possibly came from stories I (foggily) remember years ago where mothers were discouraged from breast feeding by big formula companies so that they would buy expensive product instead of using free and much healthier breast milk. I now realize that Mrs. T and The Kid are but one example and we appear to have been very very lucky.

[lady_*nix]

Somehow it's still going on.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/the-ba ... still-here

This is such profound failed state material

[Thumper]

So now really not trying to be flippant. But I think that every species of animal on the planet can find a way to take care of their young and nurse them to adulthood. But many many humans have to rely on chemical companies to feed their young. It just strikes me. Like this could be unsustainable. If families cannot figure out a way to feed their children without the desperate need of unavailable unreliable outside assistance, WTF?

Sorry if I'm coming off like a dick, don't meant to be.

[lady_*nix]

@Thumper

You are coming off like a dick, yeah. In the olden days we used things like grain mush, and a lot more babies died, or grew up stunted from early malnutrition. To keep up with the high infant mortality, women would wreck their bodies having huge families. Kids would not get much attention and would be forced to take care of each other, and mothers would often die young.

Kids are A Lot for mammals in general, and that kind of reaches its pinnacle in humans - our huge brains mean childbirth is more dangerous, babies are helpless for much longer, the social and nutritional requirements for children are much higher etc. Actually nourishing baby formulas are one of those things where we used those big brains to close the gaps.

[pumpkinpi]

So now really not trying to be flippant. But I think that every species of animal on the planet can find a way to take care of their young and nurse them to adulthood. But many many humans have to rely on chemical companies to feed their young. It just strikes me. Like this could be unsustainable. If families cannot figure out a way to feed their children without the desperate need of unavailable unreliable outside assistance, WTF?

Sorry if I'm coming off like a dick, don't meant to be.

Buster and Rooster both went in to daycare at 3 months old. While I was at work I pumped twice a day. I usually pumped again at night after I had fed them multiple times and put them to bed. That still wasn't enough breast milk to get them through the day at day care. If there wasn't formula I would have had to go to day care and feed them, or just quit and stay home. Or just let them go hungry. Or get a wet nurse.

That doesn't begin to include the women whose breast milk doesn't come in, or don't have a job that allows them time off to pump, or any of the myriad justifiable reasons a woman can't or chooses not to breastfeed but can't be with their child 100% of the time until they can eat solid food.

[Thumper]

I keep forgetting to ask Mrs. T to remind me of the specifics, it's been a while. She was/is still working full time out of the home. So she did have to pump. Maybe we were just real lucky that she could produce enough. The Kid was in the care of grandmothers, friends who had a private daycare in their home, and professional daycares.
The Kid was born in May and I remember going to a NASCAR race in late July so I know pumping and breastfeeding went on for at least two months. I remember Mrs. T pumping furiously for those 2-3 days, we were camping and had a large separate cooler just for milk. (I remember because my buddy asked a bit annoyed if she was going to do that every year. )
She went on some sort of goopy slimy baby food fairly quickly as I remember, partly because she was darn near born with teeth and Mrs. T didn't care much for the biting.
I guess we were just really lucky. Everything worked very well, and I guess I just assumed that was the norm. Is there a way families can cook up some sort of formula in their homes without too much difficulty?

[pumpkinpi]

She went on some sort of goopy slimy baby food fairly quickly as I remember, partly because she was darn near born with teeth and Mrs. T didn't care much for the biting.

When you are the one breastfeeding/pumping, 4 months is not "fairly quickly!" That's the age when you can start feeding them baby food. And even then, they can't have any liquids besides breastmilk or formula until 6 months.

I guess we were just really lucky. Everything worked very well, and I guess I just assumed that was the norm. Is there a way families can cook up some sort of formula in their homes without too much difficulty?

That's a good question....I'd guess since it's not happening, then no. It's either very complicated to make with ingredients/equipment you can only get commercially, or heavily regulated. I'd bet it's the latter.

[lady_*nix]

@pumpkinpi

IIRC part of the problem is also that the factory that was shut down was one of the very few producing specialty formulas, for e.g. babies allergic to common formula ingredients. So for the worst affected families, there may be no substitute at all.

[SciFiFisher]

RE: Baby formula alternatives. Baby formula is designed to be an artificial breast milk that is fortified with the right amount of fats, carbs, protein, and vitamins. RE the vitamins, most animal milk sources lack folate and other B vitamins. In the days before commercial formula it was quite common for doctors to prescribe infant vitamin drops. I imagine they are still available. I was actually raised on a diet of whole milk or condensed milk and baby vitamins. My mother says she added baby cereal before I was a year old.

For babies that don't tolerate cows milk, goats milk is often a good substitute. There are some recipes out there for making your own fresh baby formula. For babies that can't tolerate dairy or goat milk there is coconut milk, hemp milk, or other non-diary options. The key issue is making sure the baby gets enough of the nutrition they need. Commercial formula or breast milk from mom are the most ideal options but there are substitutes that can be obtained. It may not be as economical or convenient.

[Rommie]

I mean, there are plenty of old wives' kind of recipes for feeding babies when you don't have enough breast milk to go around, like putting corn starch into goat's milk was pretty common during the Great Depression. But surviving is not the same as thriving, and not all kids survived such things anyway.

Also, Thumper, worth noting that in nature not all mammals do provide for all their young- plenty of species kick the runt out to make sure there is enough for the stronger ones, for example. But I think (hope?) it's safe to say that as humans we don't think that's acceptable for our babies.

[Thumper]

And of course humans rarely have litters of 5, 10, or more at a time.