Desperate to feed the baby during the ongoing infant formula shortage, some parents are wondering if the DIY recipe is a good idea. However, doctors give “strong advice” to making prescriptions at home.
On Thursday, President Biden vowed to “urgently” make milk powder available following the pathogen outbreak at Abbott Nutrition, the largest US milk powder maker that temporarily curtailed distribution. ..
Meanwhile, customers are facing empty store shelves, Internet searches for homemade infant formula are increasing, and parents are exchanging infant formula recipes online.
Homemade formula problem
“AAP strongly recommends against homemade prescriptions,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said on its website. “Homemade recipes on the internet may look healthy or cheap, but they are not safe and do not meet your baby’s nutritional needs. Infants with the use of some homemade formulas. Death has been reported. “
Pediatrician Natalya Vernovsky agrees.
“There is nothing I can recommend in the kitchen [as a safe substitute for formula]”Vernovsky, a spokesman for JustAnswer, a website for professionals to access affordable help, said.
For one thing, homemade formulas can cause allergic reactions and bacterial infections in babies if expired ingredients are used incorrectly. And recipes from scratch are probably not as sterile as commercial formulas.
However, the biggest problem is that babies have very specific nutritional needs that are designed to meet breast milk and infant formula.
“Infant formula has a certain proportion and proportion of protein, carbohydrates and fats that are digestible and acceptable to babies,” Vernovsky told TODAY Parents. “”[It also has important] Electrolytes such as vitamins, sodium, potassium and chloride. ”
Without these minerals, babies can cause problems such as seizures and swelling of the brain, Vernovsky says.
Dr. Stephen Abrams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said milk should not be included in the menu.
“For babies under 6 months of age, milk has too high a protein level,” Abrams said today.
Vegan milk should not be considered in general either. “Soy milk is used in some formulas, but it’s not really ideal,” he says. “And coconut milk and almond milk are really inadequate, as few are fortified with protein or calcium.”
As TODAY Health previously reported, the two babies were hospitalized last year after drinking homemade vegan formula and experiencing heart and nerve problems.
Related story: Homemade vegan formula puts your baby in the hospital: what parents need to know
Social media recipes swirl
Despite the guidance on homemade milk powder, people are exchanging ad hoc recipes on TikTok and other social media platforms.
“Always remember that you can make it yourself,” said one woman in the TikTok Kitchen Tutorial, explaining that different types of milk can be liquid-based. She suggested adding coconut or olive oil to a mixture of polyunsaturated fats.
Another TikTok creator recalled his childhood memories. [that formula] There are many vitamins, but there are other ways to get them. ”
“I raised my baby with homemade infant formula,” someone commented. “They were born in 2003 and 2005, and they are fine.”
1950s recipe cards for homemade milk powder containing evaporated milk, water and caro (corn syrup) are popular online. The same recipe card tells parents to give their baby orange juice at 3 weeks of age.
“It’s not fake news — it’s [recipe] Used in the 1950s, it poses a significant risk to babies, “says Abrams.
The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. “Giving your baby regular milk or making homemade infant formula was common decades ago, but it’s not a safe or recommended method,” the organization said. “In the United States, by law and other government regulations, all infant formulas sold over-the-counter meet very strict rules regarding ingredients to support healthy growth and development.”
Related story: Is breastfeeding “free”?Insufficiency of infant formula spotlights the myth about feeding babies
What parents can do
No one argues that parents are in a very difficult situation.
Vernovsky suggests that parents visit a breastfeeding bank or try to ask a doctor something Formula sample They may be available in the office.
And in a pinch, Abrams says that all babies over the age of six months, under the guidance of a pediatrician, can consume whole pasteurized milk anywhere from a few days to two weeks if they take iron supplements.
“It’s not optimal nutrition, but for now it requires some flexibility,” Abrams says. “This is also a matter of fairness, as many low-income households cannot drive long distances. [to buy formula].. “
“I’m discouraged from making the lack of powdered milk a problem with baby bottles,” Abrams said. “Telling your mother that you should breastfeed now is hurt and useless.”
Related story: Desperate parents seek help from a breast milk bank in the absence of infant formula
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