US, Aug. 5 -- A new study led by Swansea University has laid bare the devastating impact that soaring infant formula milk prices are having on the health, finances, and mental wellbeing of UK parents and their children.

Funded by the Medical Research Council and published in Maternal and Child Nutrition, the research is the first of its kind in the UK, and the findings reveal families are falling into unmanageable debt, reluctantly adopting feeding practices they know could harm their babies, and even taking formula from shops without paying as a last resort.

Exploring the experiences of 281 struggling parents through surveys and interviews, the study found that financial strain has triggered a severe crisis of anxiety, guilt, and isol...