JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents not to make or feed homemade formula to infants.
According to the FDA, there have been multiple reports of infants treated for malnutrition at hospitals -- which is what sparked the health alert.
“You read these things, discussions, topics and these groups where people are advising, ‘Should I make my own baby formula?’ That’s a whole other thing because with baby formula -- and I’m no expert, I should just go ahead and say that -- but that is where they are getting most of their nutrition,” said Mary Boatright, a new mother to 8-month-old Emerson.
She said that as a new mother during the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of what she learned was from the internet. But she said she knew better than to make her own infant formula.
“Parents who choose to make their own formula are risking not only the lives of their children but also brain development at the most important time when children’s brains are developing,” said pediatrician Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen.
According to the FDA, there have been reports of infants being hospitalized for low calcium after being fed homemade formula.
Goldhagen said he always recommends breastfeeding to new mothers first. However, if that can’t happen, he said formula is the only other option.
“It is impossible for a family of whatever means to recreate the science that has gone into developing infant nutrition and infant formulas,” Goldhagen said.
If you are unsure about anything, Goldhagen recommends, call your pediatrician.