The Food and Drug Administration 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 infants suffering from hypocalcemia (low calcium content) who had been fed homemade infant formulas.” They did not provide further details about the diseases.
Infant formula is strictly regulated by the FDA and may be the only source of nutrition for infants. Therefore, the agency has requirements for certain nutrients to be within a certain range.
“The FDA does not recommend that parents and caregivers develop infant formulas at home because of serious health and safety issues. Possible problems with homemade formulas include contamination and the absence or inadequate amount of critical nutrients.” states the agency in its warning.
Parents and caregivers are reminded that the possible consequences of feeding home formula for babies can include nutritional imbalances or food-borne illnesses, which can endanger the lives of young children.