
If you’ve been feeding your baby one brand of formula for months, but that formula isn’t available due to the ongoing formula supply crisis, can you switch brands? An LSU Health New Orleans expert told WWL yes, for the most part you can.
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics Dr. Jay Hescock said all American-made FDA-approved formula brands are required to have the right mix of calories, electrolytes, and proteins. As long as you have a healthy baby you can reliably switch to the same kind of formula from different producers.
“Brands of formula, while the companies that produce them would lead you to believe that there is a big difference in their formula over someone else’s, all of them are FDA regulated,” said Hescock.
Formula supply has been challenged since the start of the pandemic due to supply chain issues, but contamination at a major facility in Michigan run by Abbot led to even bigger issues.
One thing you absolutely should not do however, is to try to stretch your current supply by diluting it past what is recommended on the back of the can or bag.
“You can start to run into issues where the child is not getting enough calories, not enough nutrients, not enough electrolytes and especially in regards to certain electrolytes if they are not getting enough those electrolytes can fall to dangerously low levels and they can have things like seizures and other serious medical complications,” said Hescock.