The Latest Breaking News from Abbott

CHICAGO — Abbott Laboratories and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have come to an agreement on the steps the company needs to take before it can restart production of infant formula at a Michigan facility, Abbott said Monday.

The fear of not knowing where your child’s next meal comes from is something that no parent should face. But, because of a recall of Abbott Laboratories’ (NYSE: ABT) Similac and other popular baby formula brands, stores throughout the nation are limiting how much formula parents can buy. 

The U.S. baby formula shortage has sparked a surge of interest among moms who want to donate breast milk to help bridge the supply gap as well as those seeking to keep their babies fed

States have been asked to increase accessibility of baby formula for recipients of the low-income program. And the Food and Drug Administration is looking at ways to make it easier to import formula.

The formula shortage may continue for months.

Abbott Laboratories said it could have some of its recalled infant formulas back on store shelves within eight to 10 weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives its approval, though it’s unclear when that approval may come.

Federal inspectors spotted the potential for baby formula made at an Abbott Laboratories plant to become contaminated months before a recall that exacerbated a nationwide shortage, a government document shows.

Trade restrictions and over-zealous FDA regulation are a big part of the problem, but there's more.

A US-wide baby formula shortage forces frenzied parents into online groups to swap and sell to each other to keep their babies fed.