Formula Concerns & Availability

by: Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley Nutrition Team

Given the shortage of formula in the country (a combination of supply chain issues and product recalls), we know many families are looking to us for help. We understand the ability to feed your child shouldn’t be a concern. For many, this is a scary and anxious time. It has been hard during our nutrition evaluations to recommend any specific type of formula, as the availability is hard to control. A can today may not be available the next time you need it. No one should be without the nutrition they need, and we are here for you.

To help, we have talked with all of our formula contacts to give you resources to find formula and recommendations. We did our best to get you access and an insider view on what steps you can take. Scroll to the manufacturer you need for QR codes, guides to switch formula and more.

We know that manufacturers and legislators are doing everything possible to make more options available. But it will still take 6-8 weeks to get availability at a more comfortable level. In the meantime, please only take what you need for a week or two. Leave formula, especially specialty formula for children with allergies, on the shelf for those that truly need it. And please don’t dilute formula to make it last longer. This results in a lack of nutrition and not enough calories for infants. This can have serious consequences, such as increase risk of seizure.

Finally, please be cautious with recipes that are floating around to make your own baby formula, without consulting with a medical professional first. Many homemade recipes contain ingredients that are not safe for young infants, are low in calories, and are not nutritionally complete. Feeding a baby homemade formula can cause problems with growth and nutritional deficiencies.

About Formula & Brands

Just like adults, babies need protein, fat, and carbohydrates in their diet. Infant formulas sometimes differ in which specific proteins, fats, and carbohydrates they feature. Breast milk has two protein sources: whey and casein. Some infant formulas have both of these proteins, while others only have whey. All meet the FDA’s requirements. Similarly, infant formulas can differ in the type of fat they use. All infant formulas sold in the U.S., whether they are name-brand or store-brand, must meet the FDA’s standards to ensure proper nutrition for your baby.

Generic or store brand infant formulas are very similar to national brands. They even use similar marketing terms, including:

• Advantage = Advance
• Gentle = Gentlease
• Sensitivity = Sensitive
• Tender = Gentle

Most store-brand baby formulas contain DHA and ARA, prebiotics, and nucleotides, just like brand-name infant formulas. Almost all—including store brands made for Walmart (Parent’s Choice), Target (up & up), Walgreens (Well Beginnings), and Kroger (Comforts for Baby), etc.—are made by the same manufacturer: Perrigo Nutritionals. Read more from verywellfamily.

Some children have no issues with transitioning to a new formula, while others may need a little time to adjust. For some children, new adjustments to their diet may cause gastrointestinal (GI) changes. If you need support for your baby’s allergies, constipation or other emerging GI issues, please contact a pediatric dietician for support.

Due to the shortage, now may be the time to move a toddler or older child off of formula and transition to another option. We know this change can be scary. But many families have found this has been a needed push with a beneficial outcome.

See below for a formula comparison chart that you can use to find comparable formulas if your usual brand is sold out. Again, generic brands are perfectly okay to feed your baby.

From Feed to Succeed LLC

Online Support

The support from communities to help those in need of formula is so heartwarming. Consider reaching out to friends and family to help find formula for your baby as they shop. Purchasing donor breast milk from your local milk bank, may be an option. While there is a high demand they are also experiencing more donations of extra milk. One such resource is the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.

Use caution with milk sharing or buying milk over the internet from places other than an official milk bank as these may contain contaminants. If someone is offering extra formula they no longer need, please be sure the formula is not expired and has been stored in a temperature controlled location (i.e. not in a garage).

Instacart is a helpful resource that shows where formula is on shelves. You don’t have to shop on Instacart, but use as a locater in your area.

Community Facebook groups like local Mom Groups, parenting groups and more can help share tips or resources for formula. Chicagoland Formula Finders is a recent and helpful resource for many.

Formula Availability

Scroll down to find more information from Enfamil, Gerber, Kate Farms, Nutricia, Similac and WIC programs (alphabetized).

Enfamil

Enfamil.com has a store locater that is updated three times a day. They also share this qr code and product comparison chart below.

Nutramigen is an extensively hydrolysed formula for the dietary management of infants with mild to moderate cow’s milk allergy. It is hypoallergenic, which means it has been specially formulated to not cause allergic reactions in most infants with cow’s milk allergy. This formula has been more available at this time, but please only purchase if necessary.

At Reckitt/MJN, we see this as a very serious issue, because we understand the responsibility we have in making the single source of nutrition for so many infants, therefore can be no short cuts for this vulnerable population. Our manufacturing facilities are operating 24/7. This has allowed us to supply 30% more product to market YTD, which allows us to provide formula to an additional 200,000 babies per month since the Abbott recall occurred.

It is important to note our manufacturing is near pharmaceutical grade and quality and safety are paramount. Our goal is to get as many feedings to shelf as possible, but our highest priority are those mothers and infants in the WIC program as they are the most vulnerable in our society. Where Abbott can no longer meet their commitments, we are filling the gap as much as we can.

We’re continually looking for more ways to increase supply, while ensuring the highest levels of safety and quality. We’re also working closely with President Biden, the FDA, and the USDA to expedite approval for us to use a factory outside of the U.S., access key ingredients, and make it easier to ensure the most vulnerable babies have access to the formula they need. We know parents and caregivers are concerned about formula supply on the shelves, we are working with our retail partners to support limiting purchases to 1- week supply per household and always recommend buying formula from a reputable source.

This is the highest priority for us as a company and the entire industry. We are confident that by working together and remaining focused on this problem, we will solve it, ensuring that parents and infants have access to the nutrition that they need.

Helping Hand for Special Kids Program

This program can help with a one time gift of formula in cases of financial assistance or multiple births. With help from a medical professional or one of our dieticians, choose from one of the three applicable programs. Offer is limited to one formula gift per household, per birth. Programs and offers subject to change without notice. Only parents and/or legal guardians who meet offer qualifications are eligible. View the program application.

Gerber

While we are a small player in the U.S. infant formula market, we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to help get parents and caregivers the formula they need so their babies can thrive. We have significantly increased the amount of our infant formula available to consumers by ramping up production and accelerating general product availability to retailers and online, as well as in hospitals for those most vulnerable. We are also working through our Parent Resource Center, website, social media and industry groups to help make sure essential information is available for those parents and caregivers seeking it.

Demand for Gerber formula has increased due to a national infant formula shortage. This increased demand may result in some temporary out of stock issues at certain stores. Each retailer has the best estimate of when specific products will be on their shelves. For information about which retailers in your area carry Gerber formula, you can visit https://www.gerber.com/shop-by-product/formula.

While individual stores may be temporarily out of stock, it should return soon, or you can order from our website.

Our Parent Resource Center is available 24/7 to help parents with any feeding queries, including help in finding our formulas and suggesting recommended alternatives, as it is generally okay to switch routine infant formula brands (800-4-GERBER). If an infant is on a specialty formula for a medical condition or for treatment of allergy, switching infant formula should be discussed with your health care provider before doing so.

Kate Farms

We understand that patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals are pressed to find alternatives. Kate Farms formulas may be a solution for patients affected by the Abbott recall. Our formulas are only for children one and up, but could be appropriate for kiddos aging out of an infant formula including those who are appropriate for a peptide challenge and were formerly on an amino acid product. Below are a a few crosswalk tools which show which Kate Farms products would be considered “equivalent”, and we have a dedicated out of stock webpage here:  https://www.katefarms.com/customer-service/out-of-stock-support/.

The Nutritional Applications Pediatric Formulas is also a helpful resource to show what may be appropriate by disease state.  The pediatric transition guide is also helpful for tube fed patients. Learn more about transitioning to a new formula with this guide in partnership with a Registered Dietician.

Kate Farms formulas:          

• Indicated for ages 1 and up
• No common allergens. Do not contain milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans —but are not tested to be hypoallergenic
• Unlike powdered formulas, Kate Farms formulas use aseptic processing and are commercially sterile
• Offer pediatric peptide formulas made with organic hydrolyzed pea protein (HCPCS B4161) and pediatric standard formulas made with organic intact pea protein (HCPCS B4160)— not amino acid or elemental
• Nutritionally complete, taste great, and designed for oral or tube feeding (flow smoothly through tubes down to 6.5 Fr)
• Eligible for insurance coverage: Medicare, Medicaid, private plans, and select WIC* programs
• Samples arrive within two days to healthcare offices or patient homes at the request of a healthcare professional. Visit katefarms.com/samples.

Kate Farms formulas are broadly eligible for insurance. Your home medical supplier will check your coverage and ship Kate Farms to you. Or you can purchase any one of our formulas online with free 2-day shipping at katefarms.com.

Nutricia

We offer nutritional solutions that positively impact the health from early life and onwards into old age.

1. Nutricia Navigator contains information on the service which can investigate coverage options and locate DMEs or pharmacies in their area that may have product available. 
2. Neocate.com.  Always provides updated information on ordering directly from Nutricia. Parents can enter in their email addresses to receive a notification when it is back in stock at Nutricia.
3. Walgreens.com.  They will indicate if they have availability in any store.  If they see it is available, you can call the store first before going. 

Similac

For families whose babies require specialty, metabolic formulas, the FDA recently informed Abbott Nutrition that the agency has no objection to releasing urgent, life-sustaining supplies of certain specialty and metabolic formulas on a case-by-case basis. Abbott has established a request line for patients and caregivers seeking access to their specialty formulas: 1-800-881-0876.

We know that our recent recall caused additional stress and anxiety in an already challenging situation of a global supply shortage. We are working hard to help moms, dads and caregivers get the high-quality nutrition they need for their babies.

Abbott is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis, Mich., facility. We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall. In the meantime, we are working to increase the supply of infant formula by prioritizing infant formula production at our facilities that provide product to the U.S. market.

Below is a QR code that is updated regularly to show availability of infant formulas at different large box stores. More will be available in the next few weeks.

WIC

We have a special obligation to WIC families. About one-half of babies born in Illinois participate in WIC in the first year of their lives. We will continue to do everything possible to safeguard their development and access to safe, nutritious formula.”

said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou

The state of Illinois is taking a series of steps in response to the current, nationwide infant formula shortage. Senate unanimously passed the House’s bill to add flexibility to WIC benefits. The federal nutrition program for women, infants, and children is the largest infant formula buyer in the country — making up about half of all formula purchases. The approved legislation would waive the contract requirements for emergencies (like during a formula shortage), and allow mothers to purchase other formulas available without having to pay out of pocket.

In coordination with the USDA Food & Nutrition Service, Illinois retailers are being encouraged to set aside formula for low-income families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program.

The Illinois Department of Human Services has also trained caseworkers to assist families with formula questions. The IDHS Help Line at 1-800-843-6154.T he Help Line is designed for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and WIC customers primarily but is open to all residents of Illinois. Read more here.

For more information on our Feeding Clinic, nutrition and feeding services, visit: https://www.easterseals.com/dfv/our-programs/medical-rehabilitation/nutrition-therapy.html.

From one mom to another: Early Intervention tips

By: Laura Van Zandt, MS, OTR/L

Having a newborn baby can be just as equally thrilling as it can be equally exhausting. Adjusting back to home life can be overwhelming at times as you are healing and beginning to learn all about your new bundle of joy. Understanding that all newborn babies are very different from each other, here are five tips that I found helpful as both a new mom and pediatric occupational therapist:

1. First and foremost remember to breathe and smile. This time of your life is both wonderful and stressful. Deep breathing has been proven to be very beneficial. The many benefits include a reduction in stress and blood pressure. Deep breathing releases natural “free-good” hormones in our body. Learning a few techniques and tuning into your body for just a few moments can help. If you can force a smile on your face. A smile can be enough sometimes to turn any situation into something to find humor within.

   

   Try calming breaths while giving your infant a massage.

2. Use your tribe and forget as much as possible about modesty. Your tribe, or your support team, doesn’t care what you look like or that you haven’t showered in several days. They love you for who you are and not anything else. Those first weeks can be challenging, especially if you have a children with medical needs. Let them help so you can a little rest to keep yourself going strong.
3. Talk to yourself. It might feel funny at first but it can help. It doesn’t matter what you say. I often find myself talking about anything and everything- the plan for the day, what is happening right now, about my son’s family, etc. The added benefit of talking to yourself is your child also gets to hear your voice.
4. Try to develop routines early. It’s really hard the first weeks adjusting and even thinking about routines. I’m not even sure most newborns have routines aside from eat, sleep, and diaper changes; however, if you can try to establish some routines it will help your sanity and also help your newborn develop. For my little one, we try to follow a little routine of eat, quiet alert/play if he stays awake, and sleep. I try to use similar songs and even sing the same song over and over when he is trying to sleep. You can even plan to take a stroller walk around the block the same time every day. Having routines help signal to our bodies a sense of calmness and can provide a little bit of organization when things are crazy.

5. 

   Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

   Sensory strategies can be your best friend. Some ideas include the use of auditory input such as white noise, talking softly, or singing, movement and swings, and deep pressure or swaddling. It was crazy what a little bit of white noise did for my son. It was enough to calm and quiet him. Now I use it at bedtime to help him get back into a deeper sleep. I use one with a timer so it doesn’t run continuously. I also talk a lot to my son. It was amazing how fast he learned to recognize my voice and respond to a calm voice, if he wasn’t too upset. I was never someone who spoke aloud but now I found myself telling him all kinds of things. I think the soft melody of my voice must have some calming property for him. Also deep pressure and movement can help a newborn in those early months. When a newborn enters this world they are in a position called physiological flexion which they slowly work out of over the next month or two. Swaddling provides physical boundaries much like the womb which allows your child to feel secure. When they wiggle within the swaddle believe it or not they are learning very early about where their body is in relation to this great big world they entered. Along with swaddling you can also try massage. Infant massage has shown to be a wonderful bonding time for newborns are their parents. Movement is the next sensory strategy. I was very lucky my son loved his swing from the very beginning. I don’t know if this had anything to do with how much I moved around on my job, but back and forth movement is one of the best ways to help calm a child. Rocking chairs and swings can be your best friend.

If you find this newborn phase to be very difficult or think you child may not be reaching his/her milestones, talk with your pediatrician and schedule an evaluation. Many parents find physical, speech, occupational or nutritional therapy for short or long periods provide much needed support and growth for their infants. Learn more at eastersealsdfvr.org. 

 

 

How to Talk to Your Baby: Tips for Parents Expanding Speech/Language Skills

By: Valerie Heneghan, CCC-SLP/L

Each baby’s development is unique and magnificent! However, parents will often ask us these questions:

• How do I know if I am doing enough to foster speech and language development to keep my baby on track?
• What communication milestones should I be looking for?

In general, these are a few communication milestones that you should be looking for in the first year of life from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). 

Birth-3 Months

• Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying
• Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)
• Cries differently for different needs
• Smiles when sees you

4-6 Months

• Moves eyes in direction of sounds
• Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b and m
• Vocalizes excitement and displeasure

7 Months – 1 Year

• Begins to respond to requests (e.g. “Come here” or “Want more?”)
• Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibibi”
• Uses gestures to communicate (waving, holding arms to be picked up)
• Has one or two words (hi, dog, dada, mama) around first birthday, although sounds may not be clear

Here are 8 tips to help meet these milestones, engage, and expand your child’s ability to communicate.

• Child-directed communication. The amount and quality of language has a huge impact on your child’s communication development. Research has shown that babies benefit greater from child-directed communication rather than language that is overheard (e.g., asking your child a question vs. listening to the TV in the background) Take the time to smile and enjoy your child through communication exchanges.

 

• Imitate your child’s sounds and actions. Imitation is a very important skill for your child to learn.  Imitating your baby encourages him/her to notice you and even imitate your actions and/or words. This skill is vital for expanding babbling to initiating first words (e.g., “Mamama”, “babo”, etc.).

 

• Put the child’s message into words.  When your child sends you a message by reaching, pointing, looking, or making a sound; put into words what you think he is trying to tell you.  Be repetitive, children learn through repeated exposure to target words. (e.g., Do you see the ball? Ball, Here is the ball.).

 

• Talk with your child during every day routines and activities. When your child hears familiar words and sentences in the same contexts every day, it helps to build his understanding of language.  This is one of the best ways to learn more difficult concepts as well such as verbs, prepositions, etc. (e.g., Look the dog is running. He is running so fast!)

• Be face to face. When playing with your child, get down to his/her eye level.  Sit facing him/her when he is in his high chair or while playing on the floor.  This way, your child can see and hear you better fostering communication and imitation attempts. During this time, use gestures such as pointing, and imitating daily routines (e.g., washing hands, stirring spoon, kissing babies, etc.)

 

• Offer your child choices. Hold up two objects and show each object as you name it.  You can ask, “Do you want crackers or bananas?”  Observe how your child communicates his/her choice-looking at the one he/she wants, reaching toward it, pointing to it, making a sound or saying the word.  As soon as your child lets you know what he/she wants, give it to him/her which will allow him/her to experience the power of communication!

 

• Pause during a familiar routine to tell your child it’s his turn. When you and your child are doing something repeatedly (e.g., swinging, tickling).  Pause during the activity from time to time.  For example, after you have tickled your child, stop the game and WAIT for him/her to let you know that he/she wants more.  Don’t say anything-just look expectantly.  See if your child will tell you to continue in anticipation for that desired activity.

 

• Sign Language. Sign language is the use of a gestural system to communicate. Signs can be used to reduce frustration and give the child a way to communicate his wants and needs while he/she is still coordinating their speech production system. (My personal favorites are “more”, “all done”, “milk”, and “up”).

  

  From babysignlanguage.com

 

In summary, the best way to foster speech-language development with your child in their first year of life is to: TALK, PLAY, READ, and SING!  If you have any questions or need additional support, please contact a speech-language pathologist for more information.

If you are concerned about your child’s language or other development, take our free online developmental screening tool for children birth to age five. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) will showcase your child’s developmental milestones while uncovering any potential delays. Learn more at askeasterseals.org. 

 

Back to Sleep: Tummy to Play

By: Cassidy McCoy, PT

The Back to Sleep campaign rolled out in 1994 as an initiative to decrease the risk of SID, or sudden infant death syndrome. While this campaign has been successful in decreasing the incidence of SIDS, most people forget to finish the full sentence. Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play!

Placing your infant on their back during sleep times is safe practice, having your infant on their belly while they are awake (and being monitored) is very important for development.

Tummy time can promote:

• Strong muscles in the trunk, arms and back, including strong neck muscles resulting in good head control
• Development of appropriate spinal extension and rotation, which are both pre-requisites for walking
• Initiation of exploring one’s environment, starting with vision and leading to reaching out for objects, rolling and eventually crawling

If a child remains on their back for a majority of their day it can lead to complications such as torticollosis, plagiocephaly or brachicephaly.  These issues can lead to developmental delay, including asymmetries with crawling and walking.

What if my child hates being placed on their tummy?

Photo from Take Three Photography

Use some technique to make it a little easier for them!

• You lay in a recline or semi-reclined position and place your child on your chest. Being in a reclined position eliminates some of the resistance of gravity, making it easier for your child to lift their head. This can also be used as great bonding time with your infant.
• Have your infant lay over a boppy pillow, so the pillow is under their chest with their arms and shoulders in front. This position is similar to having them lay on your chest, decreasing the resistance of gravity.

Making tummy time fun!                  

The more time your child spends on their tummy the more they will enjoy it.

• Get down on their level! Position yourself to be in line with your child’s eye site
• Place different toys on the floor that are motivating for your infant to play with, such as music toys or light up toys. The toys can be placed to either side of your infant’s head or directly in front of them.
• Babies love looking at themselves! If you have a mirror or a toy with a mirror attached, place it on the floor in a position where they can see themselves.
• Make sure you have enough space for your baby to explore. It starts with just lifting the head and will progress to turning 180 degrees on their bellies to crawling!

For more information on Physical Therapy and play-based therapy services at Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley, visit our website: http://www.easterseals.com/dfv/our-programs/medical-rehabilitation/physical-therapy.html