HOUSTON — The nationwide shortage of baby formula has turned into a crisis for parents trying to feed their babies.
Now, the White House is promising to cut red tape to restock shelves as quickly as possible.
This is a serious issue for a lot of parents with babies at home. Not only is formula hard to find, there are also reports of price gouging.
And if you do find the brand you need, stores like Target, CVS and Walgreens are limiting how much customers can buy.
It’s part of an effort to prevent panic buying or hoarding since more than half of all baby formula products are sold out in Texas.
That staggering statistic is according to analysis done by Datasembly.
Experts say the shortage is a result of the perfect storm of several issues – supply chain problems, inflation and the Abbott recall of its top-selling products.
Now, the Biden administration is working with big retailers to restock shelves quickly.
“We’re going to do everything we can to cut red tape and increase supply on the marketplace,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Until that happens, pediatricians are warning parents not to stretch your supply by adding extra water or cow’s milk to formula.
It’s also not a good idea to try to make your own. Making your own can be really dangerous, impacting your baby’s growth or their ability to stay hydrated.
What you can do is try switching formula brands or look in smaller stores.
But we know, parents are already trying everything, some driving hours away to find what they need for their little ones.