What if I can’t find the infant formula I normally use?
What can a community group or child care provider do to support families in need of infant formula?
Where can families I serve in my health care practice find infant formula?
Amid this trying time for many parents and caregivers needing formula for infants, Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is offering resources at azhealth.gov/FormulaShortage to help connect with critical information, including a graphic showing potential alternatives for infants using various types of formula.
For parents and caregivers, there are answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ), such as what to do if you normally buy a special formula such as one developed for premature babies and how to help a baby transition to a different formula.
The resource connects health care providers with the most updated guidance on formula alternatives and substitutes, as well as an FAQ specifically for families receiving nutrition assistance through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
With community organizations doing so much to help families and caregivers, we offer tips for where families can look for formula, where to donate unopened infant formula, and other common questions they may face.
The most important thing until supplies of certain infant formulas stabilize is ensuring children continue to get the nutrients they need right now. Not getting the right nutrients can affect a child’s growth and development.
I hope providing critical information in a central resource helps reduce some of the stress and frustration facing many families and those who support them.
Carla Berg is the deputy director for Public Health Services at the Arizona Department of Health Services. A native Arizonan, Carla has been a part of the ADHS team since 2008. She began her public health work at ADHS as an epidemiologist within the Tuberculosis Control Program. Since then, she has held roles as chief strategy officer, bureau chief for special licensing and office chief for Disease Integration & Services. In her current role, she leads the divisions of Public Health Preparedness, Public Health Licensing and Public Health Prevention Services in addition to health equity and strategic initiatives. She also provides leadership to the Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP), a multi-sector partnership focused on priorities to improve the health of Arizonans. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Health Sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
