美国国家公共电台 NPR--Encore: Nationwide shortage of baby formula is a major stressor for parents

Encore: Nationwide shortage of baby formula is a major stressor for parents

Transcript¹

HEALTH

The nationwide shortage of baby formula is a major stressor for parents

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Biden spoke² with retailers⁴ yesterday amid the shortage of baby formula. Here's White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

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JEN PSAKI: We're going to do everything we can to cut red tape and take steps to increase supply on the marketplace.

INSKEEP: NPR's Joe Hernandez reports on how the shortage has affected⁵ one family.

JOE HERNANDEZ, BYLINE⁶: For the past three months, Chloe Banks and her husband have been struggling to buy formula for their 11-month-old son, Teddy.

CHLOE BANKS: It's incredibly stressful. It's endless, where you don't know where, you know, your next can of formula is going to come from.

HERNANDEZ: Teddy has a milk and soy protein allergy⁷ and needs a special kind of formula. Regular formulas are running low across the U.S., and so are specialized⁸ formulas for babies, including those with allergies⁹ or metabolic¹⁰ disorders¹¹.

Banks says, as a parent, it's difficult not to be able to get her son what he needs.

BANKS: Everything that we want to do is to take the best care of our children, and we're between a rock and a hard place because it's not like we have other sources.

HERNANDEZ: The retail³ analytics firm Datasembly collects information from thousands of stores across the country on how much baby formula they have out of stock. The first week of this month, it was at 43%. That's a lot higher than it was in November, when it was just 11%.

BENJAMIN GOLD: It is a real crisis and, in many cases, potentially life-threatening.

HERNANDEZ: Dr. Benjamin Gold is a pediatric gastroenterologist in Atlanta. Gold himself is working with manufacturers to help families get the formulas they need.

GOLD: Actually, my nurse is still on the phone with them right now to ship the formula to this family.

HERNANDEZ: One reason for the shortage is a recall of some baby formula made by Abbott earlier this year for possible bacterial¹² contamination. Also, manufacturers haven't been able to get key ingredients because of supply chain disruptions. The White House says the Food and Drug Administration is working with manufacturers to help ramp¹³ up baby formula production.

For now, parents like Banks and her husband continue to spend hours looking for formula her son can tolerate. And she knows she's not the only one.

BANKS: And then you have, of course, in the back of your mind, there are other families who are doing the same thing. Are you taking this from a child who needs it, as well? Try not to be too greedy. But then if you're not greedy, you don't have enough for your child. It's just a really vicious cycle.

HERNANDEZ: A website run by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends contacting your pediatrician if you can't find your child's formula.

Joe Hernandez, NPR News.

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1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

8 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

9 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

10 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。

11 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

13 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。