American Academy of Pediatrics offer new guidance for parents who can’t get formula

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday issued new guidance for U.S. parents trying to find infant formula.

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Here are some of the tips Dr. Steven A. Abrams offered to parents until the stock of formula gets back to normal levels:

· Check smaller stores and drug stores if bigger stores are out of formula.

· For most babies, it is OK to switch to any available formula, including store brands, unless your baby is on a specific extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula such as EleCare.

· Do not water down your formula.

· Do not make homemade formula.

· Full-term babies can, for a few weeks, safely consume formula made for babies born prematurely.

· For children older than 6 months, whole cow’s milk can be safe for a brief period of time.

· Plant-based milk alternatives are not recommended for babies under 1 year of age or infants with certain medical conditions requiring specialized formulas.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it will be streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to ship more formula to the U.S.

“The FDA expects that the measures and steps it’s taking with infant formula manufacturers and others will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told reporters.

The U.S. will prioritize companies that can provide the largest shipments and quickly show documentation that their formulas are safe and compatible with U.S. nutrition standards, Califf said.

For all of Abrams’ tips, click here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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