Infant formula warning: The poisoning of infants with formula products, and why

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http://www.newstarget.com/019338.html

 

 

published April 5 2006

 

 

 

Infant formula warning: The poisoning of infants with formula

products, and why breastfeeding is best

 

Over the years, countless studies have shown that when it comes to

infant nutrition, breast milk is best. This fact remains true, as

there is simply no infant formula product on the market that can match

the superior nutrition of mother's milk. In fact, some infant formulas

actually contain ingredients that can be harmful to your baby.

 

Although some formula recipes have improved over time for mothers who

must rely on formula to feed their new baby, many products are still

loaded with unhealthy and even dangerous ingredients, making

breastfeeding the best way to go for new mothers who have the option.

 

In Massachusetts, public health authorities have taken steps to

encourage breastfeeding by restricting the marketing of baby formula

in the state's hospital maternity wards.

 

In many hospitals across the country, new mothers are given

complimentary gift baskets during their stay that often contain free

samples of infant formula, supplied by formula companies. This is a

practice Massachusetts health authorities see as a clever marketing

trick, since it implies that the hospital's healthcare providers, in

giving new mothers this gift, endorse the use of formula.

 

To combat the practice, the state has decided that while free formula

may be made available to mothers who need it, it will no longer be

added to gift baskets for all new mothers. The restrictions are part

of a larger state initiative to educate women about the benefits of

breastfeeding, reports The Boston Globe.

 

So, what are some of those benefits? For starters, there is the

special infant-mother bond forged through breastfeeding that may not

be achieved when a child is fed formula, but, beyond that, there are

important health reasons why breast milk is best.

 

Infants are designed to drink their mother's milk. They are not meant

to have cow's milk or anything other than their mother's milk in their

early lives. Only breast milk contains the nutrients a healthy baby

needs, including 160 fatty acids that are not found in baby formula.

 

The nutrition a child is given at infancy makes a lasting impression,

too. Research shows babies who are breastfed have lower incidences,

later in life, of chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes and even

cancer, as well as a reduced risk for severe communicable diseases

like pneumonia, diarrhea and ear infections.

 

A mother's own health can benefit from breastfeeding her child, as

well. In addition to having a happy and healthy baby, moms who

breastfeed often have less bleeding after the birth, lose their

pregnancy weight faster and experience better bone strength, with

fewer hip fractures later in life. They may also have reduced risk for

breast and ovarian cancer.

 

Although there is some concern that breast milk itself has become

contaminated in our modern world, it is still the superior choice,

according to research. An analysis of breastfeeding conducted by the

Environmental Working Group shows that chemicals like PCBs and PBDEs

that accumulate in a woman's body fat are often found in trace amounts

in breast milk, since breast milk is made up of fat from a mother's

body. However, the levels of chemicals typically found in breast milk

pose less of a threat than the risks associated with feeding a new

baby formula.

 

That's because, as mentioned earlier, babies are not designed to drink

formula or juice or any other liquids besides mom's milk when they are

born, and if they do, poor health consequences can result.

 

Have you ever looked at the ingredients label on a container of baby

formula? Oftentimes, there are things in there that we, as adults,

shouldn't even be eating -- hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn

syrup and cow's milk, just to name a few. These are ingredients that

promote chronic disease, and yet we are feeding them to our very

youngest consumers, who have no say in the matter.

 

Of particular concern in formula is the ingredient manganese, a

neurotoxic chemical found in much higher concentrations in baby

formula, particularly soy-based formulas, than in breast milk.

According to the EWG, soy-based formulas contain about 80 times as

much manganese as mother's milk, while animal-based formulas contain

about 30 times more. Elevated manganese levels have been linked to

behavioral problems, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD) later in life. Babies are not able to absorb and excrete excess

manganese during the first year of life, according to the EWG.

 

Besides the harmful ingredients we know are in baby formula, there are

other, less certain risk factors involved with formula feeding, as well.

 

For example, chemical and bacterial contaminants can come into play

when bottle feeding infants. Mixing powdered infant formula with water

from the tap, or even bottled drinking water, can open the door to

numerous water contaminants, including chlorine byproducts,

pesticides, lead, solvents, arsenic or nitrates from fertilizer

runoff. Similar contaminants may also be found on bottles, nipples or

even in the formula itself.

 

Some formulas may contain excessive levels of metals like aluminum,

cadmium, lead or worse. The Natural Resources Defense Council reports

the following: " In the past, (baby formula) recalls have been ordered

because of contamination with substances such as broken glass,

fragments of metal and salmonella and other bacteria. The fungal toxin

aflatoxin has also been detected in some commercial formulas. Although

detected levels were very low, this toxin is known to cause cancer and

is not present in breast milk. "

 

Infant formula is so unhealthy for babies, the Natural Resources

Defense Council directly blames aggressive marketing of infant formula

in underdeveloped countries for " an epidemic of infant death from

malnutrition and diarrheal illness, a result of the contaminated water

used to dilute or reconstitute formula. "

 

The formula industry is an $8 billion a year business, but the price

of using infant formula in place of breast milk may reach much higher

than that, as it may mean harming young and innocent lives.

 

Many mothers are choosing not to breastfeed, simply because they see

formula as a more convenient option. But are you really willing to

sacrifice the health of your new baby for the sake of convenience?

 

If you are medically unable to breastfeed for any reason, do your

homework and find a formula you can trust to be the next best thing

for your baby. If you can breastfeed, do. Not only will it forge a

special connection between you and your child, but the natural choice

is also the best choice for you and your baby's health.