Saskatchewan parents want province to find out why regular infant formula is still in short supply

Sherry Rapley says she "foolishly" thought a temporary shortage of infant formula would be over by the time her daughter was born. 

That was five months ago. 

"The reality has been that it's actually seeming to get worse and worse, at least from a consumer standpoint," she said. 

Rapley says she hasn't been able to find the brand of regular formula she uses on shelves in Regina for the last eight weeks.

She even set thrice-weekly alarms to remind herself to call the store to check supply on product delivery days.

"Some people like myself are nursing, pumping and bottle feeding, and now we're also having to go out and scour store shelves for formula and call around and things like that," she said. "It's been a bit of a nightmare for a lot of parents."

A North American shortage of specialty infant formulas — need by babies with allergies and certain medical conditions — has persisted since a peak in spring, with manufacturing closures and product recalls worsening supply chain issues. 

In an online update on Oct. 28, the Saskatchewan government stated regular infant formula continues to be available on shelves during the shortage, though "individual products may sometimes be out of stock."  

Rapley said while there is "always a small selection of formula available," it's often the more expensive types, such as ready-made formula.

"It's not always affordable for people, especially in the climate of high-rising costs of living," she said, adding that switching between brands isn't a simple solution, either.

"A lot of babies are sensitive. Their little digestive tracts aren't really developed yet, so it can be really, really challenging to switch a baby from one formula to another."

Rapley says she was only able to secure supply with help from a friend in the United States, who found it at a Costco. there. 

Courtney Sastaunik told CBC News this week she's had family travel to the United States to ensure formula for her two babies born six months apart by surrogacy. 

"We also have family in Ontario who we're going out to visit who have bought a ton of formula for us," the Saskatchewan mom said. "We're checking an empty bag on the airplane purely so we can bring home formula. It's kind of a scary time." 

Parents calling for action

Rapley says she reached out to her MLA, New Democrat  Aleana Young (Regina University) three weeks ago about the apparent supply shortage. 

Young invited her and other parents to bring the issue to the Saskatchewan Legislature on Dec. 1 and Dec. 7, before the end of fall session. 

"In a province like Saskatchewan, it's strange to think that bare shelves and babies being unable to get the food that they need, is the norm right now," Young said after question period on Wednesday.

Everett Hindley, minister responsible for rural and remote health, responded to Young during question period on Dec. 1.

"There have been concerns, there have been shortages," he said. "We are doing what we can, as a provincial government, on this issue."

He said the health ministry and Saskatchewan Health Authority have been in contact Health Canada and manufacturers to "monitor the supply" of specialty infant formula to "try to make sure" it arrives in Saskatchewan as more becomes available.

Hindley did not speak specifically to the concerns about regular infant formula. 

What are the alternatives? 

On its website, Health Canada suggests parents struggling to find formula speak to their health-care professional to "find the best option for your situation." 

While both the province and Health Canada suggest breastfeeding, if possible, Rapley says that's just not a viable solution for myriad reasons. 

"There's lots of us that just can't make enough milk for our babies, unfortunately, even with doing all the right things: lactation consultation, taking prescription medication," Rapley said. 

"For others, it's not an option because of adoption or surrogacy or a person's had a mastectomy or there might be other factors ... at the end of the day we just want to make sure our babies are fed."

Rapley and other parents are circulating a paper petition asking the Saskatchewan government to investigate where the supply chain for regular infant formula is being disrupted.

She says while its evident there were issues on the manufacturing end, those should be resolving. 

"There might be problems in distribution or even changes in the way people are consuming products, whether it's panic buying or increased need for different products or things like that," she said.

"The second thing we would like to ask them to consider is to possibly import some product from other countries that are not experiencing shortages."

Lastly, the petition will ask the province to help people who have been forced to buy more expensive brands of infant formula due to supply shortages access more affordable formula.

Rapley says it's likely the paper petition will only be ready for the spring session of the legislature, which begins March 6, 2023.