A U.S. Congressman from Tennessee spoke out after news that two infants in Memphis were hospitalized because special baby formula they needed for medical conditions could not be found.
“Absolutely tragic,” Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) told The Tennessee Star. “This nationwide crisis is landing kids in the hospital, and it’s unacceptable this is happening here in the United States. All our economic might doesn’t mean a thing if we still can’t protect our children.”
Burchett has been outspoken on the issue.
“My House colleagues and I called out the Biden Administration’s failings in handling the nationwide baby formula shortage,” he said in a May 12 tweet, linking to a press conference he held with Republican colleagues. “It’s unacceptable this is happening here in the United States, and our leaders need to step up and fix this problem now so parents can feed their babies.”
My House colleagues and I called out the Biden Administration's failings in handling the nationwide baby formula shortage. It's unacceptable this is happening here in the United States, and our leaders need to step up and fix this problem now so parents can feed their babies. pic.twitter.com/1dR57ftKqg
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) May 12, 2022
“I come from the great state of Tennessee, and it’s been hit the hardest,” Burchett said in the press conference. “My state’s formula sold-out rate is about 50 percent right now. That’s why I’m calling on the Tennessee Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney General to vigorously investigate any potential instances for price-gouging and stockpiling.”
He also made note of reports that pallets of baby formula were being distributed at the U.S. southern border, possibly to migrants who had crossed into the country illegally.
The two infants in Memphis both required special baby formula because of medical conditions, but neither their parents nor their doctors could find it.
Doctors are reportedly treating the infants with IV fluids and nutrients until the formula becomes available again. When that will be remains uncertain.
“This is literally not just Memphis, not just Tennessee or the South. This is literally all of North America being affected,” Dr. Mark Corkins reportedly said. “We are trying to do some different ‘doctoring’ formulas that aren’t usually used for this kind of situation and try to see if we can find something that will work.”
“This is the way we were practicing 30 years ago when I started in pediatric GI. Some of the modern breakthroughs we had are now unavailable,” said Corkins. ““I would like to see somehow that our folks work to prevent this. I don’t want this to ever happen again.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Background Photo “Baby Formula” by ParentingPatch. CC BY-SA 3.0.
