Plunket fields calls after babies react to milk formula switch
Parents changing infant milk formula in the wake of the botulism scare have found the switch can bring its own set of problems.
Parents reeling from the infant formula botulism scare face a new problem as infants become ill from switching to unfamiliar milk products.
Following the Ministry for Primary Industry’s recall of all Karicare Stage 1 New baby Infant Formula, and Gold+ Stage 2 Follow On Formula, parents have been forced to change to other infant milk brands which are foreign to their children.
The result in some cases has been sick babies.
Plunket clinical adviser Allison Jamieson said that PlunketLine nurses have had an increased number of queries relating to changing formula.
“Parents and caregivers are more seeking advice and support on managing the changeover,” she said.
“There is a difference between a baby who is ill and a baby adjusting to a change in their diet.
“There are a few very normal changes that a baby may experience when changing to a new formula, things like fussiness when feeding and slight changes in normal bowel patterns.
“Babies might disagree with the switch at first, but they’ll adapt. A baby may not take the same amount of formula immediately, but they will get used to it really quickly.”
First time mum Alesha Eccles said son Harlen, 15 weeks, had been unwell since changing from Karicare products.
“He had an irritated stomach, was vomiting, unsettled and had diarrhoea.
“It was quite a scare and a stressful situation.
“There’s some kids out there who it will be a lot worse for. I feel sorry for parents who can’t breastfeed.”
Plunket’s advice to parents on switching formulas was to choose a product that is relevant for their baby’s age, best suits their budget and is readily available from their local store.
Anyone uncertain what to do can call PlunketLine (0800 933 922) to talk to a Plunket nurse.
