Baby formula shortage highlights racial disparities

Low-income families also face a particular struggle: They buy the majority of formula in the U.S. Experts fear small neighborhood grocery stores that serve these vulnerable populations are not replenishing as much as the larger retail stores and that some of these families do not have the resources or means to hunt for formula.

The racial disparities reach far back in America's history. The demands of slave labor prevented mothers from nursing their children, and slave owners separated mothers from their own babies to have them serve as wet nurses, or women who breastfeed other women's children.In the 1950s, racially targeted commercials falsely advertised formula as a superior source of nutrition for infants.

“Nobody’s taking responsibility for the fact that they’ve steered families of color toward formula for so many years and made people rely on it and taken away choice. And then when it falls apart, there’s not really any recognition or accountability,” Freeman said.Breastfeeding practices are often influenced by previous generations with some studies suggesting better outcomes for mothers who were breastfed when they were babies.

One time they drove half an hour to a store where workers told them they had the type she needed, but it was gone when they got there. Her husband goes out every night to search pharmacies around midnight. Some mothers have turned to social media and even befriended other locals to cast a wider net during shopping trips.In Miami, Denise Castro, who owns a construction company, started a virtual group to support new moms during the COVID-19 pandemic that has now also started helping moms get the formula they need.

Lisette Fernandez, a 34-year-old Cuban American first-time mother of twins, has relied on friends and family members to find the liquid 2-ounce bottles she needs for her boy and girl. Earlier this week, her father had gone to four different pharmacies before he was able to get her some boxes with the tiny bottles, but they run out quickly as the babies are growing.Fernandez said she wasn’t able to initiate breastfeeding, trying with an electric pump but saying she produced very little.

Walmart doesn’t discriminate who they sell formula to. This is ridiculous.

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