At the time of writing, an average of 43% of the baby formula in the U.S. is out of stock, leaving mother’s and caregivers scrambling from store to store and turning to online groups to find the formula they need. In some states, the situation is even more dire with more than 50% of formula not available.
Who is most affected?
Most babies in the United States consume formula to meet nutritional needs. Mothers that breastfeed often need to supplement with formula at some point when their milk production drops or stops entirely. Then, there are the mothers that need to work to support their families after they exhaust any leave and must rely on formula.
The table below shows just how many babies rely on formula throughout the first year of life.
Key Breastfeeding Indicators of Infants Born in 2018, National Immunization Survey 2019-2020
| Key Indicators | Current % Rates |
| Percentage of infants who are breastfed: Ever.* | 83.9 |
| Percentage of infants who are breastfed: At 6 months.* | 56.7 |
| Percentage of infants who are breastfed: At 1 year.* | 35.0 |
| Percentage of infants who are breastfed: Exclusively through 3 months.* | 46.3 |
| Percentage of infants who are breastfed: Exclusively through 6 months.* | 25.8 |
| Percentage of employers that have worksite lactation support programs. † | 51.0 |
| Percentage of breastfed newborns who receive formula supplementation within the first 2 days of life.* | 19.4 |
*Current rates represent infants born in 2018, National Immunization Survey 2019–2020.
†Current rates represent employers providing on-site lactation/mother’s room, Society for Human Resource Management, 2019 survey.
Source: CDC
Families on nutritional programs struggle even more
The formula shortage hit families that receive WIC particularly hard. According to the White House, about half of the formula purchased in the USA is through WIC.
WIC is a state-run program helping low-income mothers receive formula and other highly nutritious foods for their children. There is a list of approved foods that mothers can pick from at brick and mortar stores. They do not accept WIC at online retail stores like Wal-Mart and Amazon. This means that if formula is out of stock at local stores, but available online, low-income mothers either have to pay out of pocket and order online or hope they can find an alternative that is covered.
If you have seen any of the photos and videos of baby formula aisles in the USA, you
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