Parents turn to private doctors clinics in baby formula search
The baby formula crisis has hit an all-time peak, says a Bundoora paediatrician, revealing desperate parents are approaching him directly to take a drastic new measure to safeguard the product.
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The baby formula shortage is driving parents to doctors’ clinics in desperate attempts to snare tins of the highly sought-after product.
Bundoora paediatrician Dr Luke Sammartino said the crisis had “hit a new high”, with many of his clients requesting his private clinic start stocking formula.
He said parents were sick of finding shelves empty in many Australian supermarkets, and were becoming “increasingly frustrated and concerned”.
“Adjustment to parenthood is hard enough without the added stress of not being able to buy tins of baby formula when you need them,” he said.
“A lot of women struggle with breastfeeding and we need to support mums who choose to mix feed or decide to move to formula feeding — and that includes ensuring that formula is readily available.”
Dr Sammartino’s clinic does not sell baby formula.
A Leader investigation has found baby formula is proving big business for international students with close connections in Asia.
Many were making thousands of dollars after clearing baby formula from Australian shelves and reselling them at huge profits in China and other Asian countries.
Buyers often then resell the formula at exorbitant prices — more than $90 per can — on popular Chinese app WeChat and job website and forum yeeyi.com.
Dr Sammartino conducted an online poll with parents, that found 86 out of 105 believed it was a serious problem which needed to be addressed.
Bundoora mother of three Maria Ligerakis said feeding had become a “big issue”.
“Some mums feel anxious about making the switch to formula and may even trial a number of brands before settling on one for their baby, particularly if there are issues such as reflux, allergies or intolerances to consider,” she said.
“It is incredibly frustrating to go through all of this and then have issues sourcing the particular brand of formula that you are looking for.”
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One parent wrote: “Luckily I am able to breastfeed my daughter, but the amount of parents who need Novalac Allergy and other similar non-dairy based formulas is crazy and sad.”
While another parent said: “I haven’t had to use formula for over 18 months now but the one we used often sold out so I used to buy two tins at a time.”
Dr Sammartino urged parents, particularly those with newborn babies, to monitor stock levels of baby formula in their homes and not to panic.
“As a general rule, parents should avoid switching between formulas as a baby’s tiny tummy is very sensitive, particularly in the early months,” he said.
“A baby’s tiny tummy is very sensitive, particularly in the early weeks, and it pays to avoid switching between brands unless it’s absolutely necessary.”