INDIANAPOLIS — The country is filled with frustrated parents as they try to find baby formula.
On Friday, the White House said it's taking steps to end the shortage, and lawmakers have considered enacting the Defense Production Act.
Some desperate parents are sharing "recipes" for baby formula on social media.
About 43% of the nation's baby formula supply is out of stock. The blame is being pinned on inflation, supply chain issues and product recalls.
Many stores have placed limits on the amount of formula customers can buy.
But now, some parents may be turning to homemade baby formula concoctions. Examples of do-it-yourself, old-school methods have shown up in social media posts.
Health professionals say it's something you should avoid.
"It can be dangerous to infants," said Mary Reher, who works in the milk lab at IU Health. "A lot of these homemade formula recipes do not provide adequate nutrition for infants, which can lead to hospital admission for dehydration and other concerns, as well as impact growth and development in a negative way."
Expert advice for parents
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here's what parents should not do:
- Do not make a homemade formula from ingredients at the store, such as powdered cow milk, or raw milk and sugar.
- Do not feed your infant under the age of 1 cow milk or other milk substitutes, such as almond or soy beverages.
- Do not add more water when mixing powdered formula, or add extra water to ready-to-serve, non-concentrated liquid formula.