Why is this baby formula so hard to find on P.E.I.? A tornado and high demand, distributor says

Some parents on P.E.I. are scrambling to find a certain kind of baby formula, and it turns out a tornado in the U.S. is partly to blame for the product's shortage. 

Leslie Blake's three-month-old son has been hospitalized twice since he was born. He was underweight, with a dairy allergy and colic. 

A pediatrician put him on a hypoallergenic type of baby formula called Nutramigen, which Blake said helped him gain weight.

But lately, finding the product in Island stores has been more difficult. 

"I started to make special trips to Walmart… and I'd buy multiple cans at a time," Blake said. "Just recently, after the big storm that we had, the trucks weren't getting across the bridge." 

After making trips to several stores in Charlottetown, Blake finally found a couple of cans that would get her son through until early March.

"I was standing in the middle of the aisle in the Shoppers Drug Mart, just bawling my eyes out in relief that I was able to find some, and then I could feed him the next day." 

Company just getting back to normal

The Nutramigen formula is distributed in Canada by Mead Johnson. 

A spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CBC News that there have been supply disruptions across Canada, partly due to increased demand but also because a tornado hit one of its warehouses in Indiana last summer.

"These issues have now been resolved, and we are pleased to inform you that we have resumed shipping at our standard supply levels," the statement reads. "We continually monitor and respond to changes in demand to ensure Mead Johnson is doing everything possible for families to have continued access to our products." 

The company says retailers in Atlantic Canada should see their stocks of Nutramigen replenished within the next week.

Parents like Blake and Kensington resident Brooke Miles are hoping that's the case. 

Miles's six-month-old daughter has been using the formula for the past four months, and her health has improved greatly. 

"As of late, it's been really hard to find it. Now within the last… week, it's been impossible," Miles said. 

"Because of that formula… she's finally gaining weight and she's finally content. Hopefully we can continue that, but as of today I'm not so sure."

While they wait for the store shelves to be restocked, both Miles and Blake are calling in favours from friends living in or travelling to other provinces in hopes of finding some formula there. 

"I have friends and family looking for this stuff for me in Ontario; I just recently got in touch with somebody who's going to try and get me some from Nova Scotia," Blake said. 

"Any baby that needs this type of formula is going through the same issue right now."