The Food and Drug Administration has issued a new notice advising parents and caregivers not to use homemade infant formulas.
The formal warning comes after the agency received reports of “hospitalized babies suffering from hypocalcemia (low calcium) who were given homemade infant formula” They gave no further details about the illnesses.
The infant formula is strictly regulated by the FDA and may be the only source of nutrition for babies. Because of this, the agency has requirements for certain nutrients to be within a certain range.
“The FDA does not recommend that parents and caregivers make infant formula at home because of serious health and safety issues. Potential problems with homemade formulas include contamination and the absence or inadequate amount of critical nutrients, ”says the agency in its warning.
They remind parents and guardians that the potential consequences of feeding babies with home-made infant formula can include nutritional imbalances or foodborne illnesses, both of which can be fatal in young children.