During a scarcity hitting North America, parents in the United States are utilising social media to attempt to get newborn formula milk – and risky alternatives.
President Joe Biden called in the military this week to assist with the distribution of supplies. The scenario is the consequence of a combination of worldwide supply chain concerns and the closure of a major US manufacturer’s plant due to contamination.
Rebecca Romo Teague, a Cape Cod radio host, started a Facebook page for her neighbourhood where parents can post images of the baby aisles at stores they visit so that others can know where supplies are available in real time.
After reading about a foster mother whose eight-week-old baby needed a highly specialised formula due to allergies, she was motivated to start the organisation after discovering that businesses claiming to have it in stock online had sold out.
she told the BBC radio programme Tech Tent, “The next time I went to the shop, I went down the baby aisle, and I was shocked. There were maybe 20 cans of various types, and that was it, where you’re used to seeing it completely lined all the way to the end. And there was nothing.”
Added, “I thought if everybody could just post a photo, it would save parents and caregivers from having to drive around to eight different stores trying to find it.”
Because of the potential for difficulties, Rebecca forbids her organisation from buying and selling any formula.
From the age of four or five months, formula-fed infants should drink roughly seven bottles per day before starting solid food. Each 210ml (7fl oz) bottle takes seven scoops of formula powder, thus an 800g box should last around a week.
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