Milam County - Texas WIC adds formula options for families affected by recall

Milam County – Texas WIC is actively working with the USDA and Abbott, the makers of Similac, on the impact of the recent infant formula recall on families, and WIC has temporarily added more options.

For Similac Advance, Similac Total Comfort, Similac Sensitive, and Similac for Spit-Up, WIC has temporarily added more options. For a list of alternative brands temporarily added by WIC, parents can visit texashhs.org/wicfoodupdates and visit TexasWIC.org for the most up-to-date information on alternative formulas; more brands will be added as needed.. Parents who cannot find the brands or sizes listed on the website at the store are encouraged to contact their local WIC offices in Cameron & Rockdale for assistance.

For Alimentum, Elecare and Elecare Jr., clients will need to contact their health care provider to ask for a new prescription. These are highly specialized formulas that are prescribed for specific reasons, so a health care provider must be consulted to make sure that the formula will meet the infant’s medical need.

Texas WIC has sent text messages directly to clients who may be impacted by the recent recall.

If a WIC client has powdered formula affected by this recall, they should return it to the store or contact Abbott Labs at 1-800-986-8540 for replacement. The WIC program has notified authorized grocers that WIC customers should be treated like all other customers related to this recall. If WIC clients are unable to exchange recalled formula or find an alternative at the store, they can contact their WIC office for assistance.

If someone has purchased powdered baby or toddler formula with the brand names Similac, Alimentum or EleCare, the first thing they should do is check to see if their formula was affected at similacrecall.com. Look at the bottom of the can or container and find the lot number and enter it into the website. If recalled, do not use it, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get a replacement. Abbott can be contacted at 1-800-986-8540.

Parents can contact their baby’s health care provider if their baby recently drank one of the recalled products and are experiencing fever, not eating well, excessive crying, low energy, or other symptoms.

If formula was not included in the recall, families can still use it.

Because babies need a specific balance of nutrients, WIC and the American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend making baby formula at home, and it is not safe to use cows’ milk, or to overly dilute formula.

About Texas WIC

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which is administered by Texas HHSC, is a nutrition program for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and families with children younger than 5. Texas WIC helps improve the diets of infants and children as well as pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women by providing monthly healthy food packages, nutrition counseling, education and breastfeeding support. For more information, visit www.texaswic.org.