Formula Shortage Resources

The country is struggling with a severe shortage of formula, and we know lots of our patients depend on infant formula to feed your babies.  Unfortunately, we have not been receiving samples of formula during this time, so we do not have extra formula to provide to families.   

*Most babies can switch between brands of formula without any significant issues, but if your baby has special needs (allergies, prematurity, etc), there may be particular formulas to use or avoid (see below for more detailed information). 

*Please do NOT try to make formula at home for your baby. 

*For infants, cows milk, goat milk, almond milk, etc are NOT adequate substitutes for formula.   

*It is not safe to dilute formula or add extra water to "stretch" formula for babies, so keep mixing your formula according to the recipe on the bottle

*You may find it helpful to call ahead to stores to find out if they have stocks of formula, and to find out what days of the week they typically get new stock in. 

Below, we have compiled some additional resources:

For helpful general information about the shortage, see this handout from the North Carolina department of public health:  

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/media/15478/download?fbclid=IwAR2xoxG5RJUGBRoWQhrOO1Dajq0ls017YyLIvyqlnKr6mTX00CLDvdIyQhU

What to do if I can't find any formula at all?

See this website from the American Academy of Pediatrics:  https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/are-there-shortages-of-infant-formula-due-to-COVID-19.aspx

What if I can't find the specific formula my baby usually takes?

Fortunately, most babies will tolerate switching brands of formula well, and many different brands of infant formula can provide babies with what they need to grow.  This is a table put together by the North Carolina department of public health that can help you find a substitute that will be most similar to what your baby is used to taking:

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ncpeds.org/resource/resmgr/delete/Infant_Formula_Substitutes.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0YpG70dsvBV6Q4antDZxuD3Fa0W2uTXrDK4jbmcWeBhYUysnAmMqDDEtE

We encourage families on WIC to reach out to the WIC office as well.  Feel free to call us if you have additional questions!