SAVANNAH, Ga. - GeorgiaChron -- (SAVANNAH, GA) It's a situation that has hit parents from Savannah to every corner of the U.S. The nation is experiencing an unprecedented shortage of baby formula due to supply chain issues coupled with recalls and production shut-downs.

While government agencies, suppliers and stores scramble to get stock back on shelves, many parents are wondering how and what to feed their infants.

Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, MPH, CHES ®, CLC, says parents can look for alternatives to infant formula during the shortage and suggests these five options:

1) BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT. Zipmilk [https://www.zipmilk.org/] is a way to find breastfeeding support. This is a clearinghouse website that provides a platform for individuals and businesses that serve the breastfeeding community to share information about their services.

2) BREASTMILK BANKS. Many breastfeeding moms are donating excess breastmilk to human milk banks. For more information and to find a bank near you, visit the Human Milk Banking Association of North America [https://www.hmbana.org/] This agency accredits more than 30 nonprofit milk banks in the United States and Canada. Member milk banks follow rigorous guidelines for donor milk safety and pasteurization.

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3) LISTEN TO AND LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine [https://www.bfmed.org/statement-on-shortage-of-breastmilk-substitutes] recommends seeking breastfeeding education. During the crisis, mothers not currently lactating should consider pasteurized donor human milk or re-lactating. The Academy also advises against using homemade formulas or cow's milk.

4) CONSIDER RE-LACTATION. It is possible for some mothers, especially those who stopped breastfeeding recently, to re-induce lactation successfully and bring in their milk supply. The American Academy of Pediatrics [https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-st....] suggests nursing the baby frequently, whenever they show signs of hunger.

5) SEEK COUNSELING AND SUPPORT. Check with your pediatrician for a lactation consultant near you or visit the HERO database [https://herohelpme.com] for a full list of resources from help with paying the rent to emotional support.

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Locally, a network of partners that include the YMCA of Coastal Georgia (https://ymcaofcoastalga.org/) and Healthy Savannah (https://healthysavannah.org/) through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant (https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-p...) is dedicated to closing the gap in health disparities among various populations in Savannah and Chatham County, and many of those disparities are rooted in nutrition.