Baby formula demand surges by 200% - charity

Kirsty Jackson set up baby banks in Buxton and Stoke-on-Trent

A charity has seen a 200% rise in demand for baby formula as a result of the recent price surge, according to the founder.

Kirsty Jackson, founder of Stoke-on-Trent Baby Bank, said the number of families requesting formula had increased over the last six to 12 months.

A recent report said prices had jumped by 25% over the last two years, hitting family finances.

Ms Jackson called on brands to cut prices, adding that there was “no need for it to be so expensive”.

She told BBC Radio Stoke: “I understand that, with everything that’s been going on in the last 12 months, costs for manufacturing and labour have gone up.

“But not so much that it warrants this huge price increase of up to 25%.”

Prices for baby formula have surged by 25% over the last two years

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) reported that two thirds of women surveyed said the price surge had hit their family's finances hard.

Many said they were forced to cut back on food for the rest of the household or use cow's milk to feed their babies.

The report said the cost of one box of the cheapest formula is more than the £8.50-a-week Healthy Start voucher families can receive.

While most mothers breastfeed their babies from birth, fewer than 20% are exclusively breastfed by the age of three months.

An NHS infant feeding survey from 2010 indicated that just 1% of babies continue to be exclusively breastfed after they are six months old.

'Massively overstretched'

Ms Jackson, who also runs a branch in Buxton under the High Peak Baby Bank umbrella, said there had been a “massive decrease” in mothers breastfeeding their babies.

She put this down to a lack of support available, adding that midwives were “massively overstretched”.

The baby banks support families with babies from conception up to five years old.

People can donate supplies and money to the charity, which is also on the lookout for volunteers.