In 2022, inflation hit a 40-year high in the United States. Throughout the past year, consumers have seen increased costs for food, gasoline, and utilities, causing struggles for millions of American families. Because parents are having trouble affording their children's basics, including diapers and formula for infants, some are forced to take extreme measures.
But the problem isn't just in America. Families in Europe are facing similar struggles and, like parents in the US, have resorted to stealing necessities. As the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Parents need essentials like baby formula to be affordable, and because they aren't, black market resources are popping up, and moms and dads are taking advantage of them.
More from CafeMom: Savvy Granny Says if Her Family Wants To Eat Christmas Dinner They’ll Have To Pay Her
Parents are finding ways to make dollars stretch.
Sky News reported that parents in the UK are doing whatever it takes to feed their children. A couple, who asked that their names not be published, found themselves making their baby's bottle with less formula than the suggested serving because it is so expensive they needed to try to stretch it. They say the thought of stealing crossed their minds. Ultimately, the father decided that feeding his son was worth the risk, and he began taking cans of formula when he shopped.
He was even caught once, and when the clerks asked what was in his bag, he answered very firmly, "Just some stuff I have stolen. If I had the money, I'd pay for it," he told Sky News.
The couple is desperate to feed their son.
The mom said she tried to breastfeed her son, but she simply couldn't. This problem isn't unique to her. Many mothers cannot breastfeed for a number of reasons and must rely on formula. She told Sky News that she is on maternity leave from her retail job, and there is barely enough money to make ends meet.
Her partner makes no excuses for stealing. "The price of the milk is criminal. Where's the line?" he asked. "If you're talking about getting food for your baby, surely that's not on the wrong side of the line?"
Parents are turning to food banks for help.
These types of services are available to help parents, but sadly, there just isn't enough formula being donated to fulfill the needs of all parents. Hartlepool's Baby Bank sees parents every day who need formula they simply cannot afford. Founder Emilie De Bruijn told Sky News that formula is like "gold dust," and the center continues to get busier and busier. Parents who cannot get the formula from the Baby Bank often become angry and sometimes, hopeless.
"People are doing unsafe things," De Bruijn told Sky News. "They are swapping to [different types] of formula and that's not good for digestion. They have said: 'I'd rather baby had a rash than be starving.' It's that stigma, that shame. Will you be trolled? Will people try and take your child away?"
A formula black market has also sprung up, and the father who admitted to stealing formula has also bought discounted stolen formula that way.
"She sells it for a third of the price. … She'll be on the bus with the bags and I'll meet her later," he said. "It's branded stuff. I won't go to a back alley and buy baby formula from someone who has made it themselves."
Lack of proper nutrition is making babies sick.
Infant feeding specialist Dr. Vicky Thomas spoke with Sky News and said children are becoming ill because parents are resorting to measures such as diluting formula, and when they bring the little ones to the hospital, they are often hesitant to admit their struggles because they are afraid their babies will be taken from their homes.
"I think we are going to see babies who are being underfed or possibly overfed because they are having milk crammed into them when they are not actually wanting or needing it just because of the expense of making a bottle," she said.
She explained that proper nutrition in infancy helps to develop healthy bodies and brains. "The nutrition that babies are receiving right now determines their health going forward for the next 80 years."
More from CafeMom: Mom Disgusted After Reportedly Finding Worms Squirming in a Can of Name-Brand Baby Formula
In the US, parents also steal to survive.
Although parents steal to feed their hungry children, some retail workers ignore it. Brandon, a former Walmart employee, took to TikTok and said he didn't stop shoplifters.
He said that when he saw customers, primarily women, with "Pampers or baby formula that was not on the receipt, I just said, 'Have a great day.'"
These parents believe there are no other options. They want to feed their babies. In some cases, it is truly a matter of life and death.
"We need to look at why we are facing such high prices and really investigate how we ensure access to an affordable, safe product that families across the UK can use," Clare Murphy, a representative for BPAS, told Sky News.
