Guidance for Parents and Caretakers

• Call your OBGYN or pediatrician to see if they have in-office samples or can suggest a similar formula that may be more readily
available in stores and is nutritionally similar to your infant’s typical formula.
• Do not water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants.
• Do not discard formula unless it is expired or is part of the recall.
• Check your formula’s lot code to see whether or not it was affected by the recall.
• Find more guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Contact your child’s healthcare provider if:
– Your baby has symptoms of Cronobacter illness (fever and poor feeding, crying, or very low energy)
– Your regular formula is not available and you need recommendations on other ways to feed your baby or toddler

IDHS Formula Helpline: 1-800-843-6154

Illinois Attorney General’s Office Consumer Complaints: https://ccformsubmission.ilag.gov/

Tips from AG’s Office on avoiding formula scams:

• Research the business selling the product before you make a purchase.
• Consider how you are being asked to pay. For instance, credit cards provide the strongest protections, while payment methods of gift cards, money transfers or cryptocurrency are indications of a scam.
• Be aware, some review websites claim to be independent but are funded by scammers.
• Be on the lookout for positive reviews on the website that have been copied from honest sites or created by scammers.
• Be cautious if you discover no indication of a brick-and-mortar address or if the address appears on a Google map as a parking lot, residence or business unrelated to what is listed on the website.
• Misspellings, grammatical errors or other descriptive language that is inconsistent with the product is often a sign of a scam.
• Be cautious with sellers that advertise on a social media platform that may be communicative only until the payment is made. Once the payment clears, they may be unreachable.

For WIC-Eligible Families:

• WIC participants should redeem formula benefits throughout the month of benefit eligibility and not wait until benefits are about to expire.
• Be aware that some vendors have implemented quantity limits on formulas to aid in ensuring equity in access to formula for as many customers as possible.
• Work with your medical provider to identify alternative formulas on the IL WIC Formulary that may be more available if you are struggling to find your prescribed formula.
• If formula is not found on a store shelf, always ask a store manager or employee if stock is available, as there may sometimes be delays and supplies are being distributed as needed.