A Formula Shortage Shows How Policy, Societal Pressure Impact Babies & Parents
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 18 May 2022
⏱️ 14 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As millions of families who rely on formula wait for supplies to become more available, many are also looking for answers on the circumstances that gave rise to the shortage.
NPR Chief Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley breaks down the tangle of supply chain issues and federal policies that are playing into the formula crisis.
And Dr. Alison Stuebe of UNC Health — who also shares this resource for those looking for guidance on how to find or offer help with breastmilk supplies during the formula shortage — explains the systemic inequities that hinder the ability of many parents to feed their babies.
In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | For months, Chloe Banks has struggled to do something that used to be straightforward |
| 0:04.9 | by baby formula. |
| 0:06.9 | It's incredibly stressful. |
| 0:08.8 | It's endless where you don't know where your next can of formula is going to come from. |
| 0:14.4 | Across the country, formula is in short supply, especially specialized formula, like the |
| 0:19.8 | kind her 11-month-old son, Teddy, needs. |
| 0:23.0 | He has a milk and soy protein allergy. |
| 0:25.2 | Everything that we want to do is to take care of the best care of our children and |
| 0:29.1 | where between a rock and a hard place because it's not like we have other sources. |
| 0:33.0 | The CDC says three-quarters of babies depend on formula for at least some of their food |
| 0:38.5 | by the time they're six months old. |
| 0:40.6 | So we're talking about millions of families. |
| 0:43.7 | We're not panicking, but we're nervous that if it goes on longer than ten weeks, we'll |
| 0:49.6 | have a problem too. |
| 0:51.2 | That's Mickey Ferris, the executive director of Infant Crisis Services in Oklahoma City. |
| 0:56.7 | We serve mostly lower-income families who need baby food, diapers, or formula. |
| 1:02.4 | She says clients are coming in droves right now, and just like her family, she's running |
| 1:07.6 | into trouble by formula. |
| 1:09.3 | We buy from the distributor and they don't have any more right now. |
| 1:13.4 | The consequences of all this for parents who can't find the formula they need are huge, |
| 1:18.8 | as pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Benjamin Gold. |
| 1:30.8 | The FDA this week announced a strategy to get more formula on the shelves, but it'll take |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.