SIGN OUR LETTER to President Biden calling on him to take immediate action
and use the Defense Production Act to start addressing this national
formula emergency!
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

A month and a half ago I took a regular trip to the store to buy formula
for my 8 month old son. By the time I got to the third store and saw no
baby formula in sight I started to panic. I knew this wasn’t normal and
something was wrong.

Due to a historic recall of some forms of baby formula, there is now a
nationwide shortage of formula and it’s a very big deal and not getting
nearly enough attention.

[ [link removed] ]***SIGN OUR LETTER to President Biden calling on him to take immediate
action and use the Defense Production Act to start addressing this
national formula emergency!

Here’s what’s going on: In late-February the FDA announced the largest
recall of baby formula in recent history after two babies died and four
infants tested positive for a dangerous bacteria after consuming certain
brands of infant formula. [1] The recall led to a massive shortage of
popular baby formula brands around the country, leading some retailers to
start rationing the amount of formula parents can buy. [ [link removed] ] It’s being
reported that nearly 40% of popular baby formula brands, including
Similac, may be sold out at retailers across the country. And I can tell
you from personal experience, I haven’t been able to purchase my formula
in a store in over a month!

This is a major problem! This is akin to the toilet paper shortages we saw
during the start of COVID but with much larger consequences. While
hundreds of thousands of families are impacted by this issue, those with
medically fragile children [ [link removed] ], families in rural communities, and those
on WIC [ [link removed] ] are having a particularly difficult time—some driving to other
states or having to pay sky-high prices on the internet just to secure
their baby formula.

But there is a possible solution. President Biden can sign an Executive
Order to remedy the infant formula shortage through the Defense Production
Act—the same act used to produce more masks and vaccines during COVID. The
Defense Production Act allows federal agencies to require companies to
prioritize government contracts for medical supplies to address national
emergencies. We are absolutely in a state of emergency right now with the
formula shortage and this action should be taken before more families are
harmed.

[2]***SIGN our letter today calling on President Biden to use the Defense
Production Act to address the baby formula shortage!

I know how stressful the formula shortage can be. As a mom, it’s so
upsetting to not be able to provide my son with the nutrition he needs and
while switching formula is an option for us, that takes time and is also
stressful. But there are four things you must make sure NOT to do during
this crisis:

 1. Do not dilute the formula—it’s called formula for a reason. The recipe
on the back of the can provides your baby with the nutrients and
vitamins she needs to be healthy. Diluting it messes with that
formula.
 2. Do not make homemade infant formula. Unfortunately in the absence of
easy to find baby formula, there have been homemade recipes popping up
on the internet. This is incredibly dangerous! Do not use them. [ [link removed] ]
 3. Do not feed your baby cow milk before the age of one. Before the age
of 1, cow’s milk can put your baby at risk of intestinal bleeding. It
also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby to handle and
does not have the right amount of nutrients your baby needs.  [ [link removed] ]
 4. Do not use the recalled formula. As we mentioned, a number of children
have already gotten sick and tragically two babies have died so it is
absolutely unsafe to use the recalled formula.

I do suggest that you call a store before you drive over to double check
that they have your formula. Ask your mom/parent groups and network if
anyone has any cans they can donate to you or you can buy from them. Check
with your healthcare provider before switching formulas. And if you are
having trouble affording formula or need re-lactation advice, you can
always reach out to your nearest [3]WIC office. 

This is a stressful time for so many of us that feed our babies formula.
So after you [4]sign our letter to President Biden forward this email to
your friends and family, and ask them to take action as well!

Thank you so much,

Elyssa and the entire MomsRising/MamásConPoder Team

P.S. For more information, [5]check out this great Instagram Live
MomsRising did with National WIC Association’s Senior Director Brian
Dittmeier discussing how parents can navigate the formula shortage.

 

[1] [6]“Abbott expands baby formula recall after infant death.” Axios.

[2] [ [link removed] ]“Baby formula shortage worsens: About 40% of popular brands sold
out across US.” USA Today.

[3] [ [link removed] ]“Baby formula shortage taking its toll on parents of babies with
medical conditions>” WGBH.

[4] [ [link removed] ]“Baby formula shortage hitting WIC families hard.” WHEC News 10.

[5] [ [link removed] ]“FDA Advices Parents and Caregivers to Not Make or Feed Homemade
Infant Formula to Infants.” Food and Drug Administration.

[6] [ [link removed] ]“Cow’s Milk and Milk Alternatives.” Center for Disease Control.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ [link removed] ]Vote     [ [link removed] ]Facebook     [ [link removed] ]Twitter     [ [link removed] ]Radio     [ [link removed] ]Donate     

[ [link removed] ]Register to vote! / [ [link removed] ]¡Regístrese para votar!

[ [link removed] ]Join our Spanish language community, MamásConPoder.org

What should MomsRising tackle next? [ [link removed] ]Tell us!



You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]