Resources to help with the infant formula shortage
As a result of Abbott Nutrition’s voluntary recall of certain powdered infant formulas, there is an infant formula shortage. If you or someone you know can’t find infant formula, please see the resources below.
Manufacturer Helplines
- Gerber’s MyGerber Baby Expert (www.gerber.com/mygerber-baby-expert): Reach a certified nutrition or lactation consultant by phone, text, Facebook Messenger, web chat or video call who can help you identify a similar formula that may be more readily available
- Abbott’s Consumer Hotline: call 1-800-986-8540
- Abbott’s urgent product request line (abbottnutrition.com/metabolics): Ask your OBGYN or your infant’s pediatrician to submit an urgent product request by downloading and completing the form - PDF (static.abbottnutrition.com/cms-prod/abbottnutrition-2016.com/img/22-PSN-C_Print-Metabolics_Urgent_Product_RequestForm_FA04a.pdf)
- Reckitt’s Customer Service line: call 1-800 BABY-123 (222-9123)
Community Resources
- United Way’s 2-1-1 (www.211.org/about-us/your-local-211): Dial 2-1-1 to be connected to a community resource specialist affiliated with United Way who may be able to help you identify food pantries and other charitable sources of local infant formula and baby food.
- Feeding America (www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank): Call your local food bank to ask whether they have infant formula and other supplies in stock.
- Human Milk Banking Association of North America (www.hmbana.org/find-a-milk-bank/): Certain HMBANA-accredited milk banks are distributing donated breast milk to mothers in need; please note that some may require a prescription from a medical professional. Find an HMBANA-accredited milk bank (www.hmbana.org/find-a-milk-bank/).
WIC-Eligible Families
- Contact your local WIC (www.signupwic.com/) office to identify or obtain additional sources of infant formula nearby.
General Guidance
- Call your OBGYN or pediatrician to see if they have in-office samples or can suggest a similar formula that may be more readily available in stores and is nutritionally equivalent to your infant’s typical formula.
- You should NOT water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants. Don’t discard formula unless it is expired or is part of the recall. Check your formula’s lot code (www.similacrecall.com/us/en/product-lookup.html) to see whether or not it was affected by the recall.
- You can find more guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/Are-there-shortages-of-infant-formula-due-to-COVID-19.aspx). For additional information, please see this new fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with resources for locating safe formula: go.usa.gov/xu6MR