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Sites like eBay and Craigslist list formulas for exorbitant prices. A recent study by MIT Technology Review found that multiple sellers charge more than $300 for 12 cups of baby food on eBay, costing about $25 each. Normally, these containers would sell for between $7 and $10.
Moore says that parents who receive benefits are particularly stressed. They get their checks at the beginning of the month and have to struggle—if they can—to defeat other desperate parents to obtain certain brands of formula allowed by the welfare rules produced by Abbott, Gerber, and Mead Johnson.
Despite the FDA agreement, the crisis could worsen over the next few months as supply chain issues persist and the FDA continues to monitor production to keep the formula safe. This can cause another chain of health crises in babies who are forced to wean off formula too soon, which can lead to malnutrition and hospitalizations.
According to Lindsay Groff, executive director of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, an important way to help combat shortages may be to get women to donate excess breast milk. He says the shortage of formula is causing a 20% increase in demand at US milk banks – but there isn’t enough milk to go around. He hopes parents can spread this online and urge their followers to donate breast milk if possible.
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