Parents facing baby formula shortage again warned it could go on until spring

ATLANTA, Ga. — Many parents in metro Atlanta are struggling to find baby formula.

The massive shortage earlier this year is still being felt.

Channel 2′s Bryan Mims was at Briarcliff Pharmacy in DeKalb County, where a pediatrician said the shortage could go on until spring.

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Manufacturers are also saying that the shortage could drag on for several more months. That would leave stores with bare shelves.

Mims checked out the baby formula aisle at the Target on North Druid Hills. Popular brands like Similac and Enfamil are scarce. A sign says that due to high demand and limited inventory, the store is limiting quantities of baby formula to four per customer.

At the Publix on North Decatur Road, Mims found even more empty space on the shelves. It was the same at a nearby Walmart.

Pharmacist April Tuttle said Briarcliff Pharmacy is seeing a shortage again.

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“We can get some of the Enfamil formulas in,” Tuttle said. “There’s a lot we can’t order. Similac we can’t get at all right now.”

The shortage stems from a major recall nearly a year ago. Abbott Laboratories, which makes Similac, pulled its products after complains to bacterial infections, forcing stores to severely limit sales.

Manufacturers said they are replenishing supplies, but haven’t yet caught pace with demand.

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Doctor Roy Benaroch is a pediatrician in north Fulton County. He told Sims that his patients have found work-arounds, including ordering formula from Europe. But he also said parents can mix different brands of formula and that they shouldn’t be afraid to use less familiar brands.

“Parents should know they can find formula,” Benaroch said. ‘it may take a bit of scrambling. Families may have to use brands they once considered unusual, but even the unfamiliar brands are still a good, reliable product.”

Benaroch said if you’re concerned about getting baby formula, you can also call your pediatrician. Doctor’s offices often have baby formula samples for families, and they can help make sure babies get the formula they need.

Baby formula shortage: What you need to know On June 4, the Abbott Nutrition company announced it restarted production of EleCare at its Sturgis, Michigan, plant. (NCD)

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