.Here's what FOX 25 has on their website re: their infant formula report. The actual segment was a little longer, but this gives you the idea:Baby Formula Warning
....If you think that a formula containing the additives DHA and ARA has made your child sick, you can file a complaint with the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-891-8295.....Like all moms Michelle Balla only wants the best for her baby daughter, Mikaylee. Michelle can't breast feed so she reached for what she thought was the next best thing. A new type of formula contains two fatty acids found in breast milk. They're called DHA and ARA. But just two days after bringing Mikaylee home from the hospital, Michelle began having doubts about the formula because her daughter became very ill.
....Mikaylee spent the next three days in neo-natal intensive care. Michelle says her newborn recovered only after doctors switched her to a more traditional formula. You can find formula with DHA and ARA on just about any grocery store shelf. It's sold under the names Enfamil Lipil and Similac Advance. You might assume that means they've been thoroughly tested and are safe, but the truth is the FDA approved their use in formula, but never tested them for safety. And that has some health advocates upset.
....Marsha Walker runs the National Alliance For Breastfeeding Advocacy. She says parents don't know the formulas are not FDA tested, and are unaware there may be side effects, like diaper rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. Julie Dennehy says she bought this kind of formula because she also bought its advertising. And she says other moms have told her similar stories.
....The reason the FDA didn't test the new formulas before they hit the market is because it's not required to. Formula is regulated as a food, not a drug and that means the new additives only had to meet the generally recognized as safe standard. The FDA says these formulas are looked at very closely by the producers as well as the government. The FDA will monitor complaints about the new formulas as they're reported. The manufacturers of these enhanced formulas declined to be interviewed on camera. But over the phone, representatives from both companies told us their formulas are safe and well tolerated by infants. They also say they have not made any misleading claims about the benefits. So far, the FDA says it has no complaints against formulas containing DHA and ARA. But if you think your child has become sick because of these additives in formula, call the FDA and report the incident.
....Jo Anne Lindberg founder of BirthLink says, "Before trying any new product do your research. In this case you could ask an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Many times new products are not tested or proven safe yet we assume they are. Formula is not the same as breast feeding even though many doctors tell their patients it is. There is no comparison. We encourage all mothers to breastfeed at least one year as recommended by the Surgeon General, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Dietetic Association, American College of Nurse-Midwifes, National Medical Association and the American Public Health Association. The world average is four years."