KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A shortage of baby formula on shelves across the Kansas City metro has parents changing course, but one alternative could be hurting your child.

Doctors are now warning parents the risk they’re taking may not be worth it. This coming as the shortage of baby formula continues to loom large over households.

“You find yourself looking at multiple stores, looking for just that one can that you need”, said Chance Truss, a mother forced to change her baby’s formula.

The supply chain is one problem, but a recent recall from Abbott Nutrition saw four different kinds of baby formula pulled off shelves at the same time.

“It puts a big bind on them because you find yourself really confused on what to do. What can i do now, who do I call?” Truss said.

As the shelves cleared and parents became desperate, some took matters into their own hands, making the baby food at home. Dr. Stephen Lauer, a pediatrician at the University of Kansas Health System says that’s a big “no-no.”

“Making things at home off of a Google recipe is potentially very dangerous for your baby. Certainly stories of babies ended up in emergency rooms and sick because of a formula parents tried to make and use at home,” said Dr. Lauer

So what should you do? Lauer recommends breastfeeding as the best option if you can.

“That’s really the ideal one, and as long the mom is healthy and doing well,” he said.

Relying on community organizations across the KC metro who specialize in helping families and children is also important.

“It’s reaching out to all those safety net spots, checking with clinics, with health departments.” Dr. Lauer said.

For Chance Truss, she switched her child to a plant based option, it’s more expensive but keeps her child fed.

“For me, it is exactly what I had to do and it’s way easier on his belly,” she said.