Parenting infant twins born prematurely was already a challenge before Cassandra Solberg faced a new, unexpected stressor: finding much-needed formula to feed her 3-month-old babies.
"Every store I would go to would only have one or two cans," she said. "After that then it started being non-existent. I started calling the stores … they started saying 'We don't know when we're going to get it in. We're having issues getting it in.'"
What began as a shortage of formula caused by supply chain and pandemic problems became an even scarier situation for caregivers when Abbott Laboratories recalled certain lots of its widely used Similac brand in February.
As local parents stare down near-empty shelves, some major retailers, including Target, are limiting how much formula consumers can buy each visit.
The scene hearkens back to the empty toilet paper shelves at the start of the pandemic — but with far more serious consequences. Formula is the only source of nutrition for many infants, especially those born prematurely or whose mothers are unable to breastfeed.
Solberg worked with the state's Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program to get the formula she needed. But it remains unclear when normal supply levels will return, and many parents and caregivers are running out of patience.
"Everywhere you ask, they don't know when this shortage is going to let up," said Solberg, who lives in Minnetrista. "No one has an answer."
Abbott's Similac brand is the only infant formula approved for Minnesota's WIC program. The state Department of Health has temporarily approved a long list of substitutes to help those who rely on the program pay for the essential product.