Sites like eBay and Craigslist list the formula for exorbitant prices. A recent search by the MIT Technology Review found that several vendors are asking for more than $ 300 for 12 containers of baby food on eBay, about $ 25 each. Usually these containers sell for $ 7-10.
Moore says parents who are on welfare are under particular stress. They receive checks at the beginning of the month and have to fight to defeat other desperate parents – if they can – to get special marks of formulas allowed by the social security rules produced by Abbott, Gerber and Mead Johnson.
Despite the FDA agreement, the crisis may worsen in the next few months as supply chain problems persist and the FDA continues to monitor production to keep the formula safe. This could lead to another serious health crisis for infants forced to give up the mixture too early, which can lead to malnutrition and hospitalization.
According to Lindsay Grof, executive director of the Human Milk Banking Association in North America, one of the most important ways to address the deficit could be to get women to donate surplus breast milk. She says the lack of a mixture has led to a 20% increase in demand at dairy banks across the U.S., but there is a shortage of milk. She hopes parents can spread the word online, urging their followers to donate breast milk if they can.
