Johnstown resident Nakia Davis has those typical mom worries when it comes to her baby boy named Ray.
But now added to that list, finding baby formula for him.
“Trying to find it is just hard, because most of the time it’s not there. Everybody is grabbing it,”
Some retailers blame supply chain issues for the shortage.
It’s also a result of a baby formula recall back in February, when a variety of powdered formulas were linked to infant sickness and even one death.
“It’s scary to give it to him because of what happened to the other baby,” Davis said.
We met this mother-son duo at Beginnings, Inc. in Johnstown.
Parent Educator Cynthia Wilson with the Parents as Teachers Program said she’s worked with many parents going through this.
“Going to the doctor’s office, they’re out of formula. WIC is out of formula. You go to the store, the shelves are empty. Babies need this formula. What are they going to do?” Wilson told 6 News.
Pediatricians say breast milk or formula is the only thing a baby needs for the first 4 to 6 months.
They recommend that solid foods can start being introduced around 6 months.
That’s good timing for 6-month-old Ray to be hit with the shortage, because Davis says she’s been substituting solid foods into his diet to hold him over.
“I’ve been giving him potatoes, mashed potatoes, and rice,”
Until more baby formula is back on the shelves, Davis encourages all moms of little ones to keep their heads up.
“I just hope that moms going through it keep a strong head, and stay strong through the rough times that are going on. I hope they can find a substitution for what they need for their baby,” Davis said.
Wilson advises, if you’re in this situation and don’t know what to do, call your baby’s doctor to see if there’s a different type of formula to hold your baby over until the one they need comes back in stock.”
