Prescriptions for toddlers receive health reviews in the US What parents should know – National

As American health officials vow to overhaul US food supplies, they are looking at new baby formula.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Food and Drug Administration to review the nutrients and other ingredients in infant formula that fill bottles for millions of American babies. The effort, dubbed “Operation Stork Speed,” is the first deep look of material since 1998.

“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at will to ensure that infant formula products are safe and healthy for the families and children who rely on them,” Kennedy said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a quarter of US infants consume prescriptions during the first six months of their lives, with about 40% receiving them as their only source of nutrition.

Dr. Stephen Abrams, an infant nutrition expert at the University of Texas, said the formula has been widely used for about 60 years, feeding a thriving generation of infants.

The broader scientific community has been seeking reevaluation of infant formulas for years and “fully support this idea of ​​an inclusive look,” he said.

He said current formula products in the US continue to be safe and nourished.

“But there's a lot of science and I hope that the FDA rules will match the latest science around the world,” he said.

Here's what you need to know about stork speed:

Infant schools are manufactured products, usually made from milk or soybeans, and are intended to mimic human breast milk for 12-month-old children. It may be the only source of nutrition or supplemental breastfeeding.

Under FDA regulations, infant formulas contain 30 specific nutrients, of which 10 minimum and maximum levels.

The ingredients vary, but all formulas require a calorie balance from protein, carbohydrates and fats, which reflect what is found in leek milk.

Federal guidelines recommend that babies are exclusively for breastfeeding for the first six months of their life, and parents continue breastfeeding for more than the first year, while adding new foods to their child's diet.

Parents use formulas when mothers cannot or do not choose to breastfeed for a variety of reasons, including medical conditions, work conflicts, etc., to help other families with feeding and other circumstances.

Kennedy published a review of infant formula in March as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda for US food supply.

The FDA review includes an increase in testing for heavy metals and other contaminants, as well as reviews of nutrients, the agency said.

US health officials will discuss a two-hour roundtable discussion of infant prescriptions on Wednesday.

The FDA is seeking new scientific data and information on whether the ingredients needed for infant prescriptions need to be added, removed or changed. The deadline for comments is September 11th.

Scientists say reviews have been behind the latest data on breast milk composition and how to digest and absorb nutrients in breast milk and formula milk for a long time.

Additionally, Bridget Young, a researcher in infant nutrition at the University of Rochester, says he hopes the FDA will consider how US formulas compare to formulas made elsewhere.

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“How do our regulations differ?” she said. “Maybe it's time for them to reconsider their regulations and consider potential international harmony.”

Young said it may have eased the US infant prescription crisis in 2022.

In recent years, some parents have been seeking prescriptions for infants made in Europe, believing that products made overseas are healthier options, experts said.

The formula regulations in the US and Europe, including nutrients and testing requirements, are slightly different, but generally similar, Abrams said.

“The difference between the US and Europe should not be considered “higher” or “better” or “larger” in one and the other,” he said.

Still, iron is included at a higher level than the European formula, for example, the US formula. Abrams suggested that US officials consider lowering iron targets.

In recent years, other components have been added to the formula. They contain docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid, and complex sugars that are not found in milk but not breast milk. They may be beneficial, but they are not necessary.

“These have been added to some equations, but not to others, so I'd like to see them,” explained Abrams.

Many parents have expressed concern about formulated ingredients such as sugar and seed oils. These are also targeted by Kennedy as a risk to a wider food supply.

Recent studies suggest that adding sugars such as glucose and corn syrup solids to infant milk powder may be associated with weight gain in children. Young said most experts agree that lactose, the main type of sugar found in breast milk, is preferred.

The formula for infants in the US contains seed oils, Young said. But that's because there is a finite number of vegetable oils that provide the essentially saturated and unsaturated fats that a baby needs.

“They need to provide you with the diverse fatty acids you find in breast milk,” she said.

If done properly, Abrams said it would take “at least a year” for the FDA's infant formula review. It also requires a wide range of input from multiple government agencies, formula manufacturers and consumers.

“Shortcuts are impossible, and no one will be enough to get it right with reviews, white papers, and even committee reports,” he said.