The Food and Drug Administration sent a new warning advising parents and caregivers to not use homemade infant formula.
The formal warning comes after the agency received reports of “hospitalized infants suffering from hypocalcemia (low calcium) that had been fed homemade infant formula.” They did not provide more details on the illnesses.
Infant formula is strictly regulated by the FDA and can be the sole source of nutrition for young infants. 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 formulas at home because of serious health and safety concerns. The potential problems with homemade formulas include contamination and absence of or inadequate amounts of critical nutrients,” the agency states in their warning.
They remind parents and caregivers that potential consequences of feeding babies homemade infant formula can include nutritional imbalances or foodborne illnesses, both of which can be life-threatening in young children.