WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — If you’re having trouble finding formula for your baby due to national shortages, not turn to homemade recipes, warns an expert.

“Even the best intentions can have devastating results,” said Dr. Diane Calello, pediatrician and director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center based at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

“While it may seem safe to use substitutes or make homemade formula to feed your baby, it can be very dangerous and potentially deadly,” she warned in a press release.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that three infants were treated in the emergency room for low calcium and vitamin D deficient rickets after being fed homemade formula. Infants fed dilute formula are also at risk of electrolyte imbalance and brain swelling.

Calello described what should not be given to babies and what formula alternatives are safe.

Rice drinks, goat’s milk, almond milk, cow’s milk, protein shakes and homemade or diluted formulas can quickly lead to serious nutritional deficiencies in infants because they lack essential nutrients that babies need. needed at each feed.

She also warned against feeding babies honey.

Honey and products such as graham crackers or cereal containing honey are also nutritionally deficient and can cause a serious type of food poisoning called botulism in children under 12 months old, Calello said.

If you can’t get your baby’s regular formula, speak with your pediatrician for advice on the safest options available for your baby, especially if your child has special health needs.

Government agencies have offered resources to find the formulaand major media publish regularly updates on the state of the crisis.

New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest checking small stores and pharmacies for the formula, buying the formula online from reputable distributors, and checking local social media groups dedicated to it. problem.

If infant formula cannot be found, toddler formula — although not recommended for infants — can be used for a few days if the infant is nearly 12 months old, according to the AAP. .

It also says full-term babies can be fed preemie formula for a few weeks if needed. In an absolute emergency, soymilk fortified with protein and calcium may be an option for a few days for babies almost a year old. If you’re using an alternative, be sure to switch back to the formula as soon as you can get it, advises the AAP.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering expediting the approval of some imported formulas, but it’s not safe to buy them at this time.

Many formulas sold in Europe contain enough nutrients, but they must be imported under certain safety measures, such as maintaining the correct temperature.

To learn more about formula feeding, go to American Academy of Pediatrics.

SOURCES: Rutgers University, press release, May 27, 2022