The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a new initiative to review the infant formula, which fills the bottles of millions of American babies.
Taniya Melton is a mom of two, and she understands that not all mothers are able to breastfeed. In her case, she gave her oldest daughter baby formula.
“I was going with a more organic brand or even goat milk. They have that in powder form also,” said Melton.
WATCH NOW: FDA launches comprehensive review of nutrients in baby formula
Melton prefers breastfeeding and is currently doing so, with her 1-year-old. She’s unsure of all the ingredients that go into the formula.
“I don't really like baby formula because I feel like they add too much inside the formula. Some things that the kids don't even need. Breast milk, I prefer, it's more natural,” said Melton.
The FDA has launched a review of the nutrients and other ingredients in infant formula. The initiative called “Operation Stork Speed” is the first deep look at the ingredients in nearly 30 years.
FDA regulations require that infant formulas contain 30 specific nutrients, with minimum levels for all and maximum amounts for 10 nutrients.
“I think what has caused some families to worry and something pediatricians are paying very close attention to is the possible things that could end up in formula that aren’t supposed to be there,” said Dr. Lisa Cronin, pediatrician at Children’s Medical Center.
A recent Consumer Reports study found potentially harmful levels of contaminants, including lead and arsenic, in some infant formulas.
The FDA’s review will include increased testing for heavy metals and other contaminants. Dr. Cronin believes a reevaluation of infant formula is needed.
“Over the past 20 or 30 years, the way we grow our food has changed, and there are different chemicals and pesticides used, and depending on those chemicals and pesticides, they can affect how much arsenic end up in the food sources, which end up in the baby formula,” Cronin said.
She said the best thing parents can do is to touch base with their pediatrician.
“I always tell them from day one, this is something that should warrant a discussion with your pediatrician because there are lots of factors when it comes to choosing a formula. As we’ve seen with this Consumer Reports report, there definitely are brands that are better than others,” said Cronin.
The FDA's infant formula review would take at least a year.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
