That changed after Abbott Nutrition recalled formula and closed a plant. Now Chamberlin, whose daughter needs a low-protein diet, has found herself counting cans, experimenting with small quantities of potential substitutes and reassuring eight-year-old Izzy. “We’re going to be able to get my milk, right?” Izzy sometimes asks. “And I say yeah,” Chamberlin said. “Because it’s kind of all I can say right now.”
The nationwide formula shortage has focused on the plight of infants. But some older children and adults depend on specially formulated powders, much of it made by Abbott, to compensate for a variety of ailments, from malformed bowels and allergies to problems processing nutrients like protein. While most healthy babies can switch easily from brand to brand, for these people, a poorly chosen substitute can either taste intolerable or prompt dehydration, seizures and even death.
“It’s’s a cautionary tale of allowing a company to monopolize the marketplace when it’s a very sensitive population of clients,” said Tiffani Hays, the director of pediatric clinical nutrition education and practice at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The shortage began in February after revelations of bacterial contamination at the Abbott plant in Sturgis, Mich., which the company closed. Four children were sickened, and two died.
The shutdown stopped production of specialized products like the one that Izzy relies on. Izzy, who has the rare inherited disorder phenylketonuria, or PKU, is an energetic tree climber when fortified with Abbott’s Phenex. Without it, her mood quickly changes, and she loses focus. If she were deprived of it for longer periods, she would likely develop intellectual disabilities and other major health problems. Amino acid-modified formula remains crucial into adulthood, particularly for anyone considering becoming pregnant, when uncontrolled PKU can wreak havoc with a baby’s development.
Abbott announced on April 29 that it would begin releasing limited quantities of the metabolic formulas that had been on hold, including Phenex. Last week, the company said it would release another commonly used product, EleCare. The Sturgis plant is scheduled to reopen Saturday, prioritizing the production of these and other specialty products, but it will take six to eight weeks before they get to the people who depend on them. “Our number one priority is getting infants and families the high-quality formulas they need,” an Abbott spokesperson said.
For Hannah Dolins, 26, who was diagnosed shortly after birth with maple syrup urine disease, or MSUD, the formula shortage has brought long-term systemic problems into stark focus. Another rare, inherited disease diagnosed through infant screening, MSUD prevents the body from breaking down protein in foods such as meat and fish, resulting in a build up of toxins in blood and urine.
The mix of nutrition Dolins takes, including Abbott’s Ketonex, an amino acid-modified formula, is administered under the care of a physician, making it hard to stock up on supplies in preparation for emergencies. “I don’t know why we can’t have a little stockpile just in case something like this ever happened again,” she said. “Just to make sure we can survive.”
Dolins said she wasn’t too worried when the Abbott factory closed. She had already received her month’s supply, and she didn’t imagine the shutdown would last long. But gradually, as the plant remained shuttered, she began getting more and more scared.
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