Mothers’ Experiences During the 2022 Infant Formula Shortage in Washington D.C.

Abstract

Introduction An unprecedented shortage of infant formula occurred in the United States (U.S.) in 2022 and posed widespread challenges to infant feeding nationwide. The purpose of this study is to investigate mothers’ experiences during the 2022 infant formula shortage and its perceived impacts on infants’ diet and health. Methods Mothers (n = 45) of infants under 8 months old from Washington D.C. were invited to participate in a virtual study meeting during the summer of 2022. Mothers completed surveys regarding their demographics, infants’ anthropometrics, infant feeding practices, information they have received about infant feeding, and knowledge about infant feeding practices. They then participated in a qualitative interview about their experiences during the infant formula shortage. Results Overarching themes were: the shortage (1) had adverse impacts on mothers’ mental and emotional health; (2) had significant financial and intangible costs; (3) led to changes in infant feeding practices; (4) social and family networks were helpful in navigating the shortage; and (5) mothers felt fortunate to have resources to breastfeed and/or obtain formula. Discussion The infant formula shortage adversely impacted mothers’ mental and emotional health, and was costly, in terms of financial and intangible costs. Findings demonstrate the need to develop clinical and policy approaches to support mothers in feeding their infants and provide education about safe infant feeding practices.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Infant Diet, Outcomes, Consumer Behavior and Parental Perspectives to Optimize Infant Feeding in Response to the 2022 U.S. Infant Formula Shortage

“…The mean helpfulness scores for these resources were moderate with social media scoring the highest. This is consistent with findings from other studies that highlight social media as a powerful tool for diet and health education and support [ 16 , 20 ]. Parents’ mean helpfulness scores for future activities that would facilitate feeding infants in the “near future” included freedom to choose infant formula brands, health insurance coverage for infant formula, online resources describing formula types or brands that meet infants’ unique health needs and free universal prenatal lactation education and postpartum lactation support.…”

“…The unexpected increased use of formula during the shortage in this sample may be explained in part by the use of Operation Fly, increased purchases of infant formula via social media and increased shipments of formula sent from family and friends in the United States. Our observations are consistent with a recent qualitative study that reported white female parents expressed positive feelings for having supportive family members and friends who assisted them to find formula which was not described by any Black or SNAP- or WIC-eligible participants [ 20 ]. Another explanation for the increased use of infant formula during the shortage may be the relatively high rate of stockpiling.…”

“…These data are similar to a recent report from an online survey of 1070 U.S. consumers, of which one-third had tried to purchase formula during the May 2022 infant formula shortage and, of those consumers, 30% reported purchasing formula at multiple stores [ 22 ]. Another study by Sylvetsky and colleagues reported that parents spent hours searching for formula by driving from store to store and searching online during the May 2022 infant formula shortage [ 20 ]. These data identify a high burden to parents and potentially those from low-income communities for which transportation and time are barriers in accessing food [ 23 ].…”