Dallas, Texas native Chrissy Murray was driving back from a girls' trip in Cabo, Mexico when she decided to stop by a supermarket to buy some groceries. Murray could not believe her eyes when she entered the store as she found rows and rows of baby formula, which are now hard to find in the United States.
Murray told News Nation Live the store worker seemed confused by her excitement. According to Murray, the store worker told her to take as much formula as she wanted as they had tons of supplies in the back. Murray said it was like a kid in a candy store situation for her. She got everything she possibly could from the store and loaded it in her car.
Parents have gone to great lengths amid a baby formula shortage in the United States after a recall by formula manufacturer Abbott intersected with supply chain shortages in the country to create the worsening crisis.
President Biden invokes Defense Production Act
The shortage is particularly alarming because babies' systems can only process certain formulas and breast milk during their first year. For parents who can't or don't want to breastfeed - which accounts for as high as 50 percent in the U.S., the formula is the only way to feed their babies.
President Joe Biden invoked emergency powers last week with the Defense Production Act (DPA) to address the baby formula shortage. The Justice Department has proposed a consent decree against Abbott, while French company Danone and Swiss firm Nestle have both vowed to send hundreds of thousands of cans to the United States in the coming weeks.
Murray said she and her friends loaded up 12 cans of formula to take back home to the U.S. Murray said she didn't feel guilty like she would at home for taking more than she needed because other people need it too.
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Doctors warn parents to only buy brands they recognize and use
And while formula is plentiful in some cities like Tijuana, just south of the border, some doctors warned parents to only buy brands they recognize and use. Dr. Maya Bunik, medical director of Children's Hospital Colorado, said that is because formula manufactured in other countries does not necessarily meet the same standards as in the U.S. Additionally, 2-5 percent of babies in America are allergic to dairy.
Bunik said there is a toddler formula called Nido that is not safe for infants. She added that they want families to avoid making their own formula recipes and provide more juice or cow's milk from the carton.
Abbott has said it plans to reopen the closed Michigan plant on June 4, but it could take up to eight weeks before the formula will be available to buy, according to CNN.
