美国国家公共电台 NPR--The infant formula shortage is the focus of 2 Capitol Hill hearings

The infant formula shortage is the focus of 2 Capitol Hill hearings

Transcript¹

Lawmakers on Wednesday are expected to press the FDA and formula makers³ on how the U.S. got into this situation, and what is being done to relieve the shortage.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The infant formula shortage is the focus of two hearings in Congress today and also the focus of many parents' troubles. NPR's Allison Aubrey is covering the story. Allison, good morning.

ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE⁴: Good morning.

INSKEEP: What questions do lawmakers have for the executives who are expected today?

AUBREY: They will be asking about supplies and safety. I think a lot of eyes will be on the executive from Abbott, the maker² of brands such as Similac. Abbott's very large plant in Michigan has been closed since February due to contamination concerns, which is what triggered the shortage. The company says it has been making upgrades to the plant and addressing issues raised after an FDA inspection⁵. This includes updating water, cleaning and maintenance procedures at the facility.

INSKEEP: Well, this is tricky⁶ because the FDA closed the plant. Obviously, you don't want an unsafe plant. But now the FDA itself is facing questions about its course here.

AUBREY: That's right. Well, the head of the FDA told lawmakers last week that the Michigan plant could reopen soon. So there will be questions today on the timing⁷. It's going to take about 6 to 8 weeks after the plant is reopened to get formula made there on store shelves. In the meantime, Abbott has been importing formula from its facility in Ireland. The FDA said yesterday 2 million cans from the U.K. will be sent beginning in June. And all these imported products will help bolster⁸ supplies while everyone waits for this plant to come back online.

INSKEEP: Well, how much more anxious are parents getting as these days become weeks and months?

AUBREY: Well, I spoke⁹ to a pediatrician in Louisiana at the Ochsner Hospital for Children, Dr. Elizabeth Sack, who told me the good news is that she has not heard of any parents that don't have enough formula right now to feed their infants. So it's really the anticipatory¹⁰ anxiety of what if - you know, what if the shortage gets worse? - that stresses parents out. She sees this among moms of newborns, especially if breastfeeding isn't going well.

ELIZABETH SACK: And I think now there's this added pressure for moms that there's no backup or potentially no backup if breastfeeding fails. That's one of the main things I'm seeing in my own practice, and it's been really unfortunate.

AUBREY: Because having an infant is stressful enough without this extra kind of a concern.

INSKEEP: It's good to hear that, at least in that case, people are finding something. Even though there's a shortage, they're finding formula somewhere. But what happens if it does get worse?

AUBREY: Yeah. Well, it is not safe to water down formula to try to make the can last longer. Pediatricians say that can cause a drop in babies' sodium¹¹ levels. Babies won't get enough nutrients¹². In a pinch, a doctor writing on an American Academy of Pediatrics site say it - says it might be OK to give infants six months and older cow's milk for a brief period of time.

INSKEEP: OK.

AUBREY: Dr. Sack told me she was kind of surprised to read that tip on there because cow's milk is generally not ideal, not recommended, for young infants.

SACK: I think for them to make that statement that, in a pinch, cow's milk can be given, I think it speaks to the severity of the situation.

AUBREY: She says the shortage deserves to be treated as a national emergency since formula is essential for the survival of many infants.

INSKEEP: Oh, so the conclusion here is cow's milk is not actually good, but a little better than nothing, and that's how desperate it is.

AUBREY: In a pinch, for less than a week.

INSKEEP: Allison, thanks so much.

AUBREY: Thank you.

INSKEEP: That's NPR's Allison Aubrey.

(SOUNDBITE OF FEVERKIN'S "SILHOUETTE")

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 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

6 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

9 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。

10 anticipatory   

adj.预想的，预期的

参考例句：

• An anticipatory story is a trap to the teller.对于讲故事的人而言，事先想好的故事是个框框。
• Data quality is a function of systematic usage,not anticipatory design.数据质量是系统使用的功能，不是可预料的设计。

11 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

12 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》