Baby Formula Shortage Leaves Two Young Children In Hospital
A doctor caring for two children with complex medical needs in Memphis, Tennessee, blamed the national baby formula shortage for both children requiring what should have been avoidable hospital treatment.
Dr. Mark Corkins, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, told local news channel Action News 5: "This is a crisis for us in healthcare. This is not every child, not normal children, but literally, the formula recall has led to these children requiring hospitalization."
Both children, one of whom is a toddler while the other is pre-school age, are reportedly in stable condition.
According to the report, they both suffer from intestinal conditions and need to be fed a particular formula, with their bodies reacting badly when their parents were unable to get hold of their usual brand.
Two children in Tennessee with complex medical needs have been hospitalized due to the ongoing baby formula shortage. A mother finds empty shelves as she shops for baby formula at Target in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 16.
The children's identities and the name of the brands of formula they used were not revealed.
The children are currently being treated with intravenous fluids and extra nutritional support until the formula is back in stores, the news station said.
Newsweek has reached out to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for further information.
The shortage of baby formula—that has left desperate parents facing empty shelves in supermarkets—was sparked in part by manufacturer Abbott's February recall of several of its brands. It came as an investigation was launched over fears that bacteria, which had been linked to babies' illnesses and deaths, may have been present in the products.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "concluded its investigation with no findings of a link between Abbott formulas and infant illnesses," the company announced this week.
"This recall started in February," Corkins said. "Even if you had several weeks of stock, we're now out for the special formulas. So literally [what] we have is what we have. We have some things that we're trying to find. We're trying to use some alternatives but the standard ones, the ones you would think of, there is none to be had."
Abbott announced plans on Monday (May 16) to resume production of its baby formulas—but said it could take up to 10 weeks before new supplies hit the shelves. "After FDA approval, Abbott could restart the site within two weeks; from the time of restart it would take six to eight weeks before product is available on shelves," a company statement said.
In the meantime, Corkins says parents should not dilute formula or use a homemade formula to feed their children. He advised families to speak with their doctor if they are concerned about their children's nutrition.
Mothers across the country who have been moved by the plight of parents struggling to get hold of baby formula are donating their own breast milk to feed the infants. Demand is soaring at human milk banks, which screens the donors and tests the donated milk to make sure it is safe to distribute to babies in need.
Source:https://www.newsweek.com/child-hospital-baby-formula-shortage-1707402
