Breastfeeding is an issue I feel strongly about. I understand that some mothers have no choice about using formula, but for those who have a choice - breastfeeding is THE way to go. Here are just a few reasons for that... in addition to the reduced transportation, processing, and packaging needs of breastfeeding (compared to formula feeding):
Clearly, finding a safe infant formula is a daunting task. According to The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles, there are many risks associated with using infant formula instead of breast milk. For example, formula feeding is responsible for up to 26% of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in children. Middle-ear infections are three to four times more common in children who are fed infant formula, and children who are fed infant formula are also much more likely to be hospitalized due to bacterial infections. In addition to the health risks, some studies have shown that formula-fed babies don't do as well on intelligence tests as breast-fed babies.
Infant formula companies have been known for predatory tendencies - which is particularly offensive and immoral in developing nations where mothers may not have access to safe drinking water to use for heating the formula. Here's just one more disgusting example of an infant formula company doing something nasty:
For example, a recent article in The New York Times revealed that the organic version of Similac infant formula is sweetened with cane sugar (sucrose) and is much sweeter than other infant formulas. While all infant formulas have some added sugars to aid in the digestion of proteins, other organic products use sugars like organic lactose, which is presumably a better match for what's found in breast milk and doesn't have the sweetness of sucrose. Most health-conscious readers are probably shaking their heads and thinking that it is nothing short of insanity to be adding sugar to baby formula when the U.S. is in the middle of an obesity epidemic. Were pediatricians actually consulted about what was put into this formula? Or was the product designed primarily by food chemists like the ones that create fast food strawberry milkshakes?
The article goes on to say that any food Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) is fair game to put in infant formula, according to U.S. law. Europe's ahead of us, of course - they've banned sugar in infant formula as of 2009. |
