Video: Mass General doctor offers advice to parents amid nationwide baby formula shortage
Updated: 11:03 AM EDT May 22, 2022
UNDERNOURISHED INFANTS. RHONLLA:DE THE NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE IS SENDING PARENTS TO THE INTERNET LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS. JENNIFER: HERE TO OFFER ADVEIC AS A GASTROENTEROLOGIST FOR CHILDREN AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SOME OF THE ESTIMATES WE HAVE SEEN SUGGEST MORE ANTH 40% OF FORMULA SUPPLIES ARE OUT OF STOCK. HOW IS THE SUPPLY OF THE HOSPITAL, AND WILL YOU BE RECEIVING ANY OF THE FORMULA JUST TOUCHING DOWN IN THE U.S. GHRIT NOW? SINCE FEBRUARY, THE HOSPITAL SUPPLY HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND INTACT. WE HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY THE NEW SHIPMENT COMING OVER FROM EUROPE. FORMULA SUPYPL AT THE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN PRIORITIZING, WE ARE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATELY. RHONLLDEA: ARE YOU CONCERNED GOING FORWARD? >> I AM CONCERNED. I AM MORE CONCERNED NOT FOR THE PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL — AS I SAID, THE SUPPLY IS ADEQUATE THERE. IT IS FOR THE FAMILIES AT HOME SEARCHINGOR F THE FORMULA FOR THEIR LITTLE ONES. THAT IS VERY STRESSFUL W,E ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH THEM. I NUTRITION US TO, PROVIDERS — MY NUTRITIONIST, PROVIDERS, TRYING TO HELP FAMILIES SOURCE IN REAL-TIME. JENNIF:ER SOME PARENTS MAY BE TEMPTED TO MAKE THEIR OWN FORMULA, FOLLOWING A RECIPE OR SUBSTITUNGTI MILK, WHETHER IT BE COWS MILK OR OATMEAL. WHEN YOU THINK OF TT?HA >> IN TERMS OF HOMEMADE FORMULA, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHAT I RECOMMEND THAT. I DISCOURAGE PARENTS FROM DOING THAT. IT IS TNO SAFE TO MAKE FORMULA AT HOME, TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE NUTRITION, WHICH IS QUITE DELICATELY BALANCED. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE ANDOT N TO MENTION THE MICRONUTRIENTS, VITANSMI NEEDED, NO RECIPE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT AIN SAFE WAY. IN TMSER OF DILUNGTI FORMULA OR TRYING TO MAKE FORMULA LAST LONGER, THAT IS ALSO NOT SOMETHING I WOULD RECOMMEND. RECENTLY, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS CHANGED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CHILDREN SIX MONTHS AND OLDER COULD SAFELY USE WHOLE MILK FOR A VERY SHORT PEODRI OF TIME, ONE TO THREE YSDA, IF THEYEA RLLY CANNOT FIND ANY FORMULA THAIST SAFE. BECAUSE THAT IS NOT NUTRITIONALLY ADEQUATE. SIX MONTHS IN BOULDER ONLY. RHONDELLA: IS IT DANGEROUSOR F THEM TO DILUTE THE FORMULA? CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY TO NOT DO THAT? DOES THE HOSPITAL STILL GIVE FORMULA WHEN THE MOTHER GOES HOME WITH THE BABY? >> DILUTING THE FORMULA IS DANGEROUS. INFANTS CANTNO HANDLE THE EXTRA WARTE YOU PROVIDE WHEN YOU DILUTE THE FORMULA. IT CAN DISRUPT THE DELICATE BALANCE OF SALT AND WATER IN THE BODY AND CAN HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES NEUROLOGICALLY THAT COULD BE IRREPARABLE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU DEVIATE FROM WHAT THE INSTRUCTIONS YOUR PROVIDER HAS PROVIDED IN TERMS OF HOW TO MIX THE FORMULA OR WHAIST ON THE CAN. IN TERMS OF PROVIDING FORMULA FOR FAMILIES DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL, MASS GENERAL IS A BABY FRIENDLY HOSPITAL. SO, IT HAS NOT BNEE A PRACTICE TO PROVIDE FORMULA AT DISCHARGE. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE TAKE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, WE ARE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATING ASE W REEVALUATE STOCK IN REAL-TIME. JENNIFER: WHAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT WHOLE MILK EARLIER, I HAD NOT HEARD THAT. BABIES OVER SIX MONTHS COULD STAND WHOLE MILK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS QUICK — DAYS. QUICKLY, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR PARENTS RUNNING OUT OF SUPPLY? WHAT CAN THEY DO? >> IT IS HARD TO GIVE A BLANKET STATEMENT, AND ANSWER. I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO CALL THEIR PEDIATRICNIA TO DISCUSS THE LITTLENE OS PARTICULAR NEEDS, WHERE THEY ARE GROWTH WISE, VEDELOPMENT AWAY — DEVELOPMENTAYLL TO NOT ONLY FIND SAFE ALTERNATIVES BUT ALSO HELP YOU SOURCE FORMULA. ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, WE ARE UPDATED AS TO WHERE WE CAN FIND WHAT. JENNIFER: IT HAS BEEN SO STRESSFUL FOR SO NYMA PARENTS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE LEARNED A LOT JUST IN THAT SHORT TIME. ON THE HEALTH SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN F
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Video: Mass General doctor offers advice to parents amid nationwide baby formula shortage
Updated: 11:03 AM EDT May 22, 2022
Some estimates suggest that more than 40% of formula supplies are currently out of stock.
Some estimates suggest that more than 40% of formula supplies are currently out of stock.
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