Although it may seem like a simple choice whether to  breastfeed or formula feed your child, it is a decision that should be taken very seriously. The way you feed your infant makes an important difference in all areas of  your child’s health and well being.

Even though breast milk and formula (artificial breast milk) look the same in a bottle they are very different.

Formula is made in a factory. It contains only some of the basic vitamins, minerals and proteins found in human milk. It does not contain hundreds of the important components of breast milk that ensure the health and proper growth of your baby.

Breast milk is a live food. Our bodies produce breastmilk, the perfect nutritional food to meet the unique needs of our children. Our milk provides the nutrients needed for normal growth and development as well as antibodies to help the infant from getting sick.

Think about the difference it would be in your own diet if you drank a canned nutrition drink for every meal instead of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and meats. Even though that drink might have some of the nutrients that we know are important, it would not have the full complement of nutrients that real, live food has. That is what drinking formula is like. It is an adequate second best for a child who cannot breastfeed, however, it is not the best food for an infant.

Many health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. This means usually the child does not need any other food or drink, including water for the first six months of life.

The benefits to our children of breast milk are so many we won’t be able to list them all here, and we continue to find out new ones. Children who breastfeed are less likely to have ear infections, diarrhea, and colds and flus as well as chronic conditions such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.  Breastfeeding is also important in the proper development of teeth and speech. Children who are breastfed have a lower infant mortality rate and are less likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Recent studies have also shown better IQ’s in children who were breastfed.

A mother who breastfeeds is less likely to have breast cancer or Type 2 diabetes. Mothers also return to their prepregnancy weight sooner and have less depression when they breastfeed.

Most mothers who breastfeed talk about the ‘bonding’ they feel with their child when they breastfeed. This is important in all families. It has an additional importance when mom is working and separated from the baby for long periods of time. Breastfeeding can be an excellent way of reconnecting and relaxing together after a stressful day. Breastfeeding ensures that the mother and baby take time for each other.

Breastfeeding is also good for the community. A healthier baby means that mom does not miss work because of a sick baby. Breastfeeding is also better for the environment, as it uses none of the paper, plastic, tin or energy required for preparing, packaging and transporting artificial baby milk.

There are lots of good reasons to breastfeed. Many people today were not breastfed as children and really don’t know how to support someone breastfeeding. Although in the beginning it may be a bit awkward, like learning to dance, it becomes easy and natural with a little practice. This website was created to help you successfully breastfeed by providing you with information and resources.  We hope that one day soon, breastfeeding is the norm, and everyone knows how to breastfeed because they have been seeing women do it their whole life.

Please join us in ‘Bringing Back the Tradition’ of breastfeeding

Childhood caries

• Caries occurs when primary teeth (baby) are continuously exposed to fruit juice, soda, milk; including   breast milk or other sweetened foods or liquids for long periods of time.
• Tooth decay can begin when a child’s first two incisors have erupted. If left untreated caries can spread quickly to adjacent teeth and even to permanent adult teeth that have not erupted.
• Tooth Decay
• When a baby or young child eats or drinks sugary fluids or snacks bacteria in the mouth turn to acids which then attack the enamel of your child’s teeth and unfortunately will lead to child hood dental caries.

Breast milk is a natural food, with many nutrients contained in each drop. It is the original traditional food for babies.

All indigenous people have foods from the natural world which sustained them before contact with Europeans. Some indigenous communities are still able to gather and eat traditional foods.  However, in the United States, as part of the relocation of indigenous people to reservations, the commodity foods were introduced. These commodity foods are very different from the natural foods the people were accustomed to eating, have less nutritional value, and have been part of the cause of increased disease processes such as diabetes and obesity.

Artificial baby milk, also known as formula, can contribute to the poor health of babies when used for non-medical reasons, because it is not a natural food and has a different composition and fewer nutrients than breast milk. It is a baby “commodity food”- being an inferior substitute for human mother’s milk.

The dominate culture has normalized artificial breast milk with out evaluating the consequences. In the recent past, the Medical community has promoted it as an equal alternative to breast milk. The formula companies have had a strong influence through advertising “formula” being  based on science, as well as  allowing women to know exactly how much their child is receiving, responding to mother’s concerns about not having enough breast milk.

Breast feeding science is developing at a rapid pace. In addition to looking at the benefits of breastfeeding we need to be educating mothers, families and communities about the risk they take when children are not breastfed.

Risks of Not Breastfeeding for the Mother

• Increased risk of breast cancer, reproductive cancers, diabetes and osteoporosis
• Possible disruption of maternal-infant bonding behavior with subsequent risk of child abuse
• Maternal obesity
• Hinders  post partum uterine contractions and involution
• Additional visits to Provider with sick baby/ time lost at work
• Financial cost of formula
• Increased risk of shorter pregnancy intervals

Risks of Not Breastfeeding for  the Baby

• Changes in intestinal tract which allow for increased risk of infection
• Increased risk of diabetes and obesity
• Allergies and respiratory ailments
• Increased risk of sudden infant death
• Challenges in attachment behavior
• Problems with jaw development
• Bottle mouth- tooth decay
• Speech problems/ Visual problems
• May become a picky eater; does not learn variety of tastes from formula
• Danger of manufacturing errors and formula recall

Risk to Society

• Increased cost of government programs i.e. WIC and food stamps
• Public Health care cost increased i.e. increased chronic illness
• Special needs programs i.e. hearing, vision, speech problems
• Children missing school due to illness
• Increased pregnancy rates
• More waste in landfill i.e. formula cans
• Factory created pollution from production of artificial breast milk
• Increased absenteeism in the work place

References:

The Risks Of Not Breastfeeding for Mothers and Infants. Stube, A (2009)Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2009 fall; 2(4): 221-231)

"Just One Bottle Won’t Hurt—Or Will It?” by Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC