“Even too much water can be harmful to newborns”, Pediatrician is warning parents not to attempt making their own baby formula at home or use ‘an acceptable substitute’ due to the risk of contamination and a lack of critical nutrients

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there have been significant shortages of infant formulas nationwide. Unfortunately, the current shortages have been largely caused by supply chain issues and the recent recall of several baby formula products over contamination concerns. As we all know by now, DIY baby formula recipes and unauthorized substitutes are circulating on social media. The doctor, who is pediatrician, says in her video that parents should not attempt making their own baby formula at home, due to the risk of contamination and a lack of critical nutrients. 

The pediatrician from Texas, Dr. Sami, said in her TikTok Video that goat milk is not a ‘acceptable substitute for formula’, because it is deficient in Vitamin D, Iron, B12. The goat milk can also be harsh on the kidneys and cause electrolyte abnormalities, the doctor reportedly told Newsweek.

Dr. Sami is pleading with parents to stop sharing and following DIY baby formula recipes and substitutes on social media. She also urge people to stop sharing DIY baby formula recipes with other people. “Don’t give formula recipes to people online.” she told her followers.

During an interview with the Insider, Dr. Sami reportedly said:

“We understand the need to try to do anything, to help each other out, but it seemed that it was just more and more videos and different recipes, all of which, if you have any kind of nutritional or medical background, you can see are extremely dangerous. Babies are super fragile, especially newborns, and especially babies under six months of age. They don’t have fully developed kidneys. They can’t just drink anything, so these recipes don’t come from a place of safety or evidence. They’re old wives’ tales.”

The FDA and the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) also warned parents not to attempt making their own baby formula at home, due to the risk of contamination and a lack of critical nutrients. The state officials also said that both of these can be life-threatening to infants. 

Unfortunately, at-home baby formula recipes and unauthorized substitutes are still circulating on social media. Dr. Sami also said that camel milk is also inappropriate for babies. The pediatrician told her followers that their family lore was no substitute for medical expertise.

“Back in those days, infant mortality was just an accepted part of life. People used to pop out eight to 10 babies and two of them would die. Before you post something online, just think to yourself for two seconds, ‘Do I have the knowledge base and the education to know what my recommendation could potentially do to people?’ What you guys are doing, it’s dangerous. It’s dangerous.” she said in her video.

Dr. Ana, who works with Dr. Sami at PediPals, told Insider the DIY baby formula recipes originated are mostly created by people who have no expertise at all in pediatric care.

Dr. Ana reportedly said: “They say this worked for me, this worked for my mom, my grandma, and so this should obviously work for you. There’s no one size fits all, and the formula is so researched and there’s so much that goes into putting all the right nutrients and electrolytes in because babies are very vulnerable. Even too much water can be harmful to newborns.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents, who are struggling to find baby formula, should call their pediatrician, who may have samples in stock or connections to local groups with access to formula, the Newsweek reports.