Babies Deserve Better
6/20/06
Breastfeeding: Naturally designed for Two
The US government is right to point out that breast milk is best for babies. The Department of Health and Human Services now makes clear that not nursing has risks, just like smoking when you're pregnant has risks.
Working mothers are also right to point out that mothers and babies are all but ignored when it comes to public and workplace policies that would help more mothers breastfeed babies exclusively for six months or (ideally) longer.
What's missing from this all too familiar debate is any discussion of formula. We know breast milk is best. We also know that formula could be much, much better. Go to the pharmacy and read the (long) label on that stuff. Most formula contains two of the worst industrial foods: soy and corn syrup. Soy contains far too much estrogen for babies and disrupts thyroid function. Corn syrup is a ticket to obesity and diabetes.
What's missing from infant formula is also alarming. Experts agree that babies need omega-3 fats for their brains to develop and to prevent diabetes. The World Health Organization and the EU recommend that formula contains DHA, one of the omega-3 fats. Here in the US, the FDA says they need more evidence, so formula makers don't have to add DHA. (DHA is found in fish oil.)
There are also scores (perhaps hundreds) of immune-boosting agents in breast milk. Babies need these live bacteria for the same reason we need yogurt: to build immunity in the digestive tract and the whole body. Another vital ingredient is an antiviral fat called lauric acid, which is easily obtained from coconut oil. Breast milk is also rich in cholesterol. All baby mammals need cholesterol to build cell walls, especially in the brain. Babies under two don't make as much cholesterol as they need; that's why breast milk provides it.
For a variety of reasons, many women cannot breastfeed. But the health experts don't help these mothers figure out what they can do for their babies. The media is also lazy about formula. At a certain point in any article about nursing, a mother is inevitably quoted as feeling 'guilty' for not breast feeding; this passes for debate. Mothers and babies deserve better.
There is an alternative to breast milk and to guilt: nutritious formula. See Children's Health at www.westonaprice.org.
