A growing problem. <\/strong>A nationwide shortage of baby formula \u2014 triggered in part by supply-chain issues and worsened by a recall by the baby food manufacturer Abbott Nutrition \u2014 has left parents confused and concerned. Here are some ways to manage this uncertainty:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Finding formula. <\/strong>If your baby’s formula was not affected by the recall, but is still not available, you can try calling local stores to ask when they expect to get it back in stock. You may also be able to buy it online. If your baby is on special formula, reach out to your doctor’s office: They might have samples in stock.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Picking a new formula. <\/strong>If you typically use a name-brand formula, look for its generic version. Alternatively, seek a new formula that matches the ingredients listed in your usual one. If your baby is on a special formula for health reasons, check with your pediatrician before switching.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Transitioning to a new product. <\/strong>Ideally, you will want to switch your child gradually. Start by mixing three quarters of your usual formula with one quarter of the new one and gradually phase out the old product. If you can’t transition gradually because you’ve run out of your usual formula, that’s OK, although you might notice more gassiness or fussiness during the transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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What not to do. <\/strong>If you can’t find your baby’s usual formula, don’t make your own \u2014 homemade formulas are often nutritionally inadequate and at risk of contamination. Don’t try to \u201cstretch\u201d your formula by adding extra water, and don’t buy it from unvetted online marketplaces like Craigslist. For a baby less than 1 year old, don’t use toddler formula.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
In Pell City, Ala., Carrie Fleming has been putting half a scoop less of formula into every bottle she makes for her 3-month-old daughter, Lennix.<\/p>\n
Ms. Fleming had originally tried breastfeed Lennix but could not produce enough milk. Then, Lennix had severe allergic reactions to nine different dairy-based formulas: She broke out in rashes, constantly cried and threw up everything she ate. The only formula Lennix can stomach is a hypoallergenic kind called PurAmino, which Ms. Fleming cannot find anywhere nearby.<\/p>\n
She has called stores and pharmacies as far away as Florida and Ohio and posted on Facebook in April, begging for help. Finally, she found four small cans at a formula depot in New York for $245.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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She is trying to make those cans last three weeks instead of the normal two.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets really scary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the small town of Richland, Ga., where Sandra James, 36, lives, there is only one grocery store. In the past few months, she has not been able to find a specialty baby formula for her 8-month-old son, Kenson, who breaks out in hives and loses his hair when he drinks dairy-based formulas.<\/p>\n
At first, she checked five Walmarts nearby, driving around for hours after she got off work until she found the special formula she needed. She has sometimes gone to five or six stores a day as far away as Alabama before she can find a can.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, she is giving her son more water and mashed-up vegetables to try to make his formula last longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s just draining, very draining,” she said.<\/p>\n
Parents who have tried to buy online said they have encountered not only higher prices, but scams. Two weeks ago, K-Rae Knowles 30, of Oregon, Ill., sent money to a stranger in exchange for cans of a specialty formula she needed for her 4-month-old son, Callan. The cans never came, she said, and the seller’s Facebook profile was deleted a few days later.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are being extra careful now,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s really heartbreaking that people are preying on this kind of shortage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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In San Antonio, Ms. Marquez said she never thought she would be relying on baby formula to keep her daughter healthy at such an advanced age. But then her daughter received her diagnosis, and she was told that the special formula was the only thing that would keep her out of a hospital.<\/p>\n
Since early April, she has been supplementing her nutrition with fruit, vegetables, ground turkey and other plant-based proteins.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s very little else she can have,\u201d she said. “It’s not like I can give her a Happy Meal. Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even when it is available, the formula is expensive. After her health insurance pays 80 percent of the cost, the family still must shell out $375 a month \u2014 when the food is available. With only her husband working as a grocery store manager, money is tight, she said.<\/p>\n
She plans to get by this week with samples of other products that suppliers do have in stock and test which ones her daughter can tolerate for the time being.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no other choice,\u201d she said. \u201cI need it. I want her to stay healthy and to stay out of the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ana Swanson contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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