Cary pediatrician explains the do's and don'ts on handling the baby formula shortage

The FDA is now investigating why it took so long to send inspectors to a baby formula plant in Michigan.

The agency got its first report of a baby who got sick on the formula back in September, eight months ago.

With many families already struggling to find enough formula to feed their kids, Attorney General Josh Stein says his office has already received five reports of price gouging.

So what do you do if you can't find - or afford - formula? In a stressful time, some parents are turning to the internet to make their own substitutes. However, pediatricians are strongly advising against that.

Tips for NC parents struggling during baby formula shortage

With baby formula vanishing from store shelves, some moms are turning to do-it-yourself versions that carry serious health risks, tonight a warning from a local pediatrician.

Five-month-old Cooper has an infectious smile and crystal blue eyes. But he's got a sensitive stomach.

"He has a cow milk allergy and a soy protein allergy so that requires him to have amino acid based formula," said his mother, Kayleigh Rogers. Rogers has been searching for the right formula on Raleigh-based formula trade groups.

The type of formula is already hard to find and now, with the baby formula shortage, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"We have to have this formula," his mother said. "You are left with 'what am I gonna do, how am I gonna feed my baby?'"

It's a question Dr. Hope Seidel at Cary Pediatrics is getting dozens of times a day in her practice.

"This is a scary time a lot of parents are feeling quite desperate," said Seidel.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and that is what has Seidel concerned as mom's are in crisis mode. One concern is parents following DIY homemade formula recipes circulating online.

"There are a lot of recipes online with karo syrup and condensed milk," Seidel said. "I can't say enough how dangerous making your own formula can be"

Infant formulas must be dense with protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. If it's not precise, the baby could get dangerously sick.

"It's horrifying, the recipes I am seeing online really cheat kids out of important nutrition they need to grow well," Seidel said.

Another thing you don't want to do, said Seidel, is stretch your supply.

"Making your formula last longer by adding water to it is extremely dangerous I cant say enough about not diluting it to keep it going longer," Seidel said.

Additionally, don't use substitutes.

"Goat's milk, almond, soy, are not optimal food choices in the first year," said Seidel. "Formula is well studied is a science."

Another tip from Dr Seidel - talk to your pediatrician about generic brand formula - she said generic options can work just as well as the name brands. They often have similar ingredients and are just as safe.