(P18-055-23) 2022 United States Infant Formula Shortage: Infant Feeding and Parental Perceptions

Objectives: This study was designed to understand infant feeding practices, parental experience, and sentiments during the May 2022 United States infant formula shortage.

Methods: An anonymous, electronic, retrospective, cross-sectional survey was emailed to parents who agreed to participate in the study. Data were included in the analysis for respondents who met all inclusion criteria: U.S. parents (≥18 years or older) who lived with their 6-month-old or younger infant that had consumed some amount of infant formula before and during the shortage.

Results: Data were analyzed for 177 parents who completed the survey. Ninety-three percent of parents were female and 89% of infants were born at term ( >37 weeks gestation). Infants’ mean age was 10.3 weeks during the shortage and 78% of infants were combination feeders (mother’s own milk & formula). Parents did not significantly increase the use of unsafe feeding practices as reported in other studies. However, 80% of parents changed infant formula brands and 71% reported switching due to a lack of formula availability. Parents reported unforeseen health issues in their infants in response to changing formulas such as increased fussiness (27%), gas (25%), spit-up (23%), constipation (19%) and diarrhea (16%). Most parents used social media (50%), healthcare providers (48%) and family and friends (44%) for guidance on feeding their infants during the shortage. The following activities that could help families feed their infants in the future scored (0 to 10) the highest by parents: parents have freedom to choose any commercially available infant formula brand (9.1 ± 2.1), U.S. infant formulas are paid by health insurance companies (8.9 ± 2.2) and mothers receive free postnatal lactation support by lactation consultants (8.8 ± 2.3).

Conclusions: Our study found that changes to infants’ diets in response to the infant formula shortage resulted in health conditions that impact quality of life. These data suggest the need for policy changes within the healthcare system to provide families with access to lactation support and regulatory changes that widen the commercial availability of safe products.

Funding Sources: Bobbie Organic Infant Formula and the 2020 UC Davis Chancellor’s Innovation Award supported this project.