A nationwide shortage of baby formula is creating empty store shelves and raising questions among parents about how to provide babies with proper nutrition. Before switching to alternative means, contact your 卫生保健大发娱乐提供者 to determine what is best for your child to ensure their nutritional needs are met.
而母乳是 高度鼓励 and the best way to give babies the proper nutrients and antibodies they need, not all women can breastfeed, and not all babies can tolerate 母乳. In the absence of 母乳, formula is recommended.
Here's what you should and should not do during the nationwide shortage:
不 substitute formula without the help of a medical professional. 向你的 儿科医生 or 家庭医生 如果你有问题.
不 稀释婴儿配方奶粉. Diluting formula also dilutes the calories babies need for growth and development. Diluting could also cause electrolyte abnormalities, which can impact the amount of sodium and other 矿物质 babies need. To ensure optimal nutrition, formula should be mixed properly and according to the manufacturer's instructions.
不 自制婴儿配方奶粉. Decades of research on baby formulas have determined what's needed to provide essential nutrients to help babies grow and develop. Baby formulas have been heavily studied and rigorously tested to guarantee they are safe and healthy for babies. Formulas are also measured in specific proportions of 蛋白质, 矿物质, 碳水化合物, 维生素, 等. Making a homemade formula would not match these needs.
不 substitute with a toddler formula. Baby formulas are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and have been heavily researched to make sure they contain the right nutritional compositions of fats, 蛋白质, 碳水化合物, 矿物质, 和维生素. Formulas' compositions are shifted based on the age and development of a child. Changing to a toddler formula wouldn't meet a baby's developmental needs.
不 switch to cow's milk or goat's milk. Cow's milk is not recommended until after 1岁 due to the lack of iron that could cause a deficiency if given earlier. Goat's milk should also not be substituted as it can also result in deficiencies of important 矿物质, 比如叶酸和铁. There are some exceptions for babies over six months old, but it should only be temporary and with iron supplementation. 向你的 卫生保健大发娱乐提供者 before providing cow or goat milk to your child.
不 囤积婴儿配方奶粉. It's not necessary to buy more supply than needed. This will ensure there's enough formula for everyone. "You should buy to meet the needs of your baby,米歇尔·霍夫曼说, MD, deputy director of the Utah Department of Health. "You never want to have more than a few weeks' supply on hand while experiencing a shortage."
DO switch baby formula brands if the brand your baby is currently taking isn't available. "Sometimes babies have some trouble switching formulas, and that's because the taste is a little different,” Wendy Hobson-Rohrer，医学博士, 儿科医生 and associate vice president for Health Sciences Education at University of Utah Health. "For example, it's the same as if we changed between brands of soda.“如果是这样的话, you can decrease the current formula and slowly add some of the new brand to help with the transition.
Parents who need special formula for babies who have allergies or who can't tolerate a soy or milk-based formula should contact their 卫生保健大发娱乐提供者.
DO increase 母乳 supply if you are partially 母乳喂养 or even stopped 母乳喂养. It's possible to re-lactate at any time, but it's easier within the first year of giving birth. Lactation professionals are trained in emergency situations such as re-lactation or induced lactation. 联系 board-certified 泌乳顾问 if you want to increase your supply.
DO 找到一个 你附近的牛奶银行 if you'd like to donate 母乳. While most pasteurized donated human milk is reserved for NICU babies, more inventory will allow 母乳银行s to provide breastmilk to others.
DO work with a 卫生保健大发娱乐提供者 if you would like to donate your breastmilk to another family. It's important to look at the benefit and risks. "Mother-to-mother milk sharing is a wonderful gift from one mom to another,伊丽莎白·科特斯说, 英里每小时, IBCLC, lactation manager at 大发娱乐 and Board Chair of Mountain West Mother's Milk Bank. "But we have to be very aware that it isn't regulated, and there aren't protections in place as there are with a 母乳银行.在牛奶银行, mothers are screened to make sure they are healthy and providing enough milk for their own babies.
While mother-to-mother or informal milk sharing is not encouraged, those who plan to share their milk are encouraged to speak to their 卫生保健大发娱乐提供者.