With the formula shortage affecting families nationwide, two children in Tennessee were hospitalized because their families were unable to get the specific formula they needed.
The formula the children needed was for their short bowel syndrome, which prevents them from absorbing nutrients properly due to the children missing their small intestine, Dr. Mark Corkins shared with The New York Times.
Corkins is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, where the two boys were treated.
The hospital shared that the children required an amino-acid-based formula. The families were using EleCare, produced by Abbott Nutrition, which has had shortages following its Michigan plant closing.
One of the children is of preschool age and is still in the hospital after being brought there at the end of April. The other is a toddler and was hospitalized last week; however, they have since gone home.
The current shortage has left lawmakers and those in the industry scrambling to find a solution to ensure that children get the food they need.
Abbott Nutrition, which closed its factory due to four babies being hospitalized in February after it recalled some of its products, recently reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration to resume production at its Michigan plant. But that won't help in the meantime as it will take two months for its products to reach shelves.
Corkin said that the current formula shortage is the worst he has experienced while working in the medical field. The doctor said families whose children have disabilities or medical conditions have been calling because they require a specific formula.
"These are young children who have health conditions and special medical needs that have specific dietary requirements," Corkins said in a statement obtained by The Hill. "Their bodies did not adapt well to the new formula type and they required treatment via IV fluids and supplemental nutrition."
In an effort to help families struggling from the shortage, House Democrats have proposed an emergency funding bill that would give $28 million in funding to the FDA to address the crisis.
The legislation will reach the House floor this week, and it couldn't come quicker as Corkins shared in his statement that parents need help.
"This can be a complicated and cumbersome process and is extremely difficult for parents to navigate on their own," Corkin said.
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