HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — The baby formula crisis in the United States continues to impact families across the country and right here in Connecticut. Parents are still talking about the hurdles they’re facing to feed their children.
Kelsey Emmons Tillona spends a lot of time on zoom for her job but when she says goodbye to the workday, she says hello to her two children.
“I have a 3-year-old boy named Nico and an 11-month-old daughter named Noel,” said Emmons Tillona.
She said it's been a handful over the last few months with the challenge to find baby formula for her youngest.
“It’s always going to be an issue and it’s something that shouldn’t be an issue,” said Emmons Tillona.
The national baby formula shortage first became an issue this summer. Now, months later parents like Dan Philbrick say it has not let up.
“Really our only option right now is hoping that pediatricians keep getting samples in directly from the manufacturer,” said Philbrick.
Dan and Kelsey are not alone in their struggle to feed their little ones. FOX 61’s DeAndria Turner’s recent Facebook post on the shortage got lots of comments.
Parents said things like:
“It's so sad idk what to do most of the time. My daughter has some health issues and it's scary not knowing if I can get her formula” and “Not only is there a shortage but they raised the prices on formula!!!! Like if it wasn’t already hard to find it, now it’s difficult to afford it!”
“I would just like answers to what’s happening and to why it’s happening. It’s weird how it’s so much worse now than it was over the summer when we were seeing it constantly talked about and now, we’re not seeing anything about it,” said Philbrick.
The White House in May took steps to address the shortage, launching "Operation Fly Formula" intended to boost supply. However, the last transport landed in America in September.
Torrington Pediatrician Lucia Benzoni said the shortage is easing a bit, at least in the Northwest corner of Connecticut.
“Parents aren’t as panicky as they were. I do feel like parents are able to, at least in this little region here in Connecticut that they are able to get the formula that they need. I don’t live in a big city. It may be very different in Hartford. It may be very different in New York City,” said Benzoni.
Wherever struggling parents may be, she adds: “If you don’t have a pediatrician, call the local obstetricians. Call the floors where the babies are delivered. They can help you too. There’s a lot of people that can help."
Help is exactly what parents still on the hunt for baby formula to feed their babies want.
“We should be able to feed our babies and not have that be a worry,” said Emmons Tillona.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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