Infant Formula Shortage
COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children 6 months years and older. Visit VaccineNM.org to schedule your child's appointment today!
Are you looking for Infant Formula?
Let us Connect You to Helpful Resources
Request EleCare or EleCare Jr Free of Charge
We understand the urgent need for amino-acid based formulas and are committed to getting high-quality, safe products into the hands of families across the country.
To help support you and your family during this time, we’d like to expedite shipping one case (six cans), per patient, of EleCare Infant or EleCare Jr (unflavored or vanilla) free of charge. Visit EleCare.com/register.
To purchase moving forward:
- If EleCare was previously covered by your insurance plan, please reach out to your healthcare professional to obtain a new prescription.
- Ample supply of EleCare will be back in stock at retailers and home medical suppliers in the coming weeks.
If you have additional questions, please call Abbott Customer Service at 1-800-881-0876.
Walmart Baby Formula Availability
With formula shortages impacting the entire country, Walmart is helping customers see all available formula options at any store they select, as well as online, and in one easy step. Walmart’s enhanced website experience is easier to navigate and updates the in-stock formula options shown to customers as they view different stores. As our available inventory changes, the website inventory will also change, so customers are urged to check back often to stay up to date on formula availability.
Walmart Baby Formula Availability
Customers can navigate the website by using the following steps:
- Open Walmart.com and search for “formula”.
- If the city/store displayed in the blue bar is not the desired store, click on it to change the location.
- Start by putting in a zip code, then select a store and save.
- An individualized page will show formula available both online and at the selected store.
- The page also shows the status of the items displayed: Pickup (available at the store), Delivery, Shipping or Out of Stock.
- Information can be filtered to show all brands of baby formula carried or filtered for a specific brand.
- Customers can select how they would like to receive their items, whether that is in-store, pickup, delivered from a store, or shipped.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, provides financial assistance to eligible New Mexicans with low income and limited resources to purchase food products. SNAP benefits are simple to use to purchase qualifying food products at participating grocery stores. For more information click here.
Are you currently a participant in WIC program?
If you are currently enrolled in the WIC program, contact your local WIC Office to connect with the resources you need. Click the link below to find your local WIC Office.
Am I eligible for New Mexico WIC services?
Let’s see if your family is eligible for New Mexico WIC services. Click the link below to answer a few questions to check your eligibility.
I am not a WIC participant but I need formula. What can I do?
With formula shortages impacting the entire country. We suggest checking smaller stores and drug stores. They may have a supply even when larger stores do not (or are out). You may also try online shopping apps. Here is a listing of in-store shopping apps people are loving on the NM Infant Formula Support Network:
Guidance for Parents
What to Do If You Can’t Find Baby Formula
We are working to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the State. If you are unable to readily find formula, the following resources may be able to assist:
DO - Request In-Office Samples
Call your baby’s pediatrician or provider to see if they have in-office samples.
DO - Try a Different Brand If You Can
Your baby’s pediatrician or provider can suggest a similar formula that may be more readily available in stores and is nutritionally similar to your infant’s typical formula.
DO - Check Smaller Stores
Check smaller stores and drug stores, may have a supply even when larger stores do not (or are out).
DO NOT - Give 'Toddler Formula' to Infants
Toddler formula is typically more concentrated in calories than infant formulas, which may not be safe for babies younger than six months.
DO NOT - Dilute Formula
It’s unsafe to dilute baby formula to make it last longer. This can lead to serious health problems in infants.
DO NOT - Make Your Own Formula (Ever)
Do-it-yourself formula is never a safe option. Formula mimics breast milk with a specific combination of protein, sugar, and fat. It’s difficult for homemade recipes to achieve the same precise proportions necessary for your child’s health and development. Click here for more information about nutrition for infants.
Additional Resources
Community Help and Support
NM Infant Formula Support Network
In New Mexico, the Early Childhood Education and Care Department has launched the NM Infant Formula Support Network, which is a Facebook group for parents and caregivers to share news about where specific formula brands and types are in stock, and to share surplus formula and other resources. The site is an active forum, with families and state experts posting information and responding quickly to questions from families. A lot of those state experts are from the WIC program (more on them in a minute), and they are chiming in with real-time info to help your family find what it needs.
Formula in Childcare
Many child care programs in New Mexico provide formula to infants through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). State leaders say child care providers have been able to maintain supplies, and they are watching the situation closely to jump in with support if they are needed. Learn more about CACFP, and it’s a good program for families to know about when choosing a child care provider. Your child care provider can be part of the team that helps make sure your baby is fed.
Donated Breast Milk
Donated breast milk may be an option for some families who can’t find the formula they need. Interested families can contact the Human Milk Repository of New Mexico, which is an accredited milk bank that collects breast milk donations, screens them for safety, and sells that milk to qualifying families. Here are some fast facts about how they work. Experts advise against buying breast milk from informal web forums or directly from other parents, since it may not be screened for safety.