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+--- Thread: What harm will not breastfeeding your children do? (/thread-47155.html)
- Chloe - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
I have 5 siblings, and none of us were breastfed except my oldest brother. I guess you could say we all turned out okay, even though we were formula fed. However, my oldest brother, has by far a stronger immune system than any of us.
Breast milk is the only natural food for babies. It's what babies are meant to eat. That's the simplest way I can put it.
Anything that's unnatural may create problems. Even if you can't see those problems.
Formula is just a substitute for breastmilk, and it will never ever be as good. Yes a baby can grow on formula, and be healthy, if breastmilk is not available, but don't you want to give your baby the best start in life, and the best possible food?
We're living in a society, where we are made to believe we have two choices: breastmilk or formula. Well we shouldn't. It should always be breastmilk for human babies. Our babies are not calves. Formula should be available only for cases when the mother is unable to breastfeed.
Do some research on breastfeeding and its benefits, and I'm sure you 'll be convinced.
Edit: Of course I'm not saying that women who don't want to breastfeed shouldn't have children. And I also said that formula is there for a reason. I also mentioned that I wasn't breastfed, and I sure am glad I'm here.
I said that breastmilk, is the only natural food meant for babies, and that formula will always be just a substitute. That if you choose to formula feed, your baby WILL grow on it, and most likely will be healthy, BUT, dont' you want to give your baby the very best? I'm not trying to push you into breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can be very difficult, and you have to really want to do it in order to succeed. What I am trying to do, is urge you to find out for yourself about the benefits of breastfeeding before you make up your mind. If you find out enough, I'm sure you'll want to at least give it a try.
In the end it's up to you what you do with your baby, I'm only answering your question to the best of my knowledge.
Good luck whatever you do.
- playsteinway - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
My mother never did and I came out fine without allergies or problems. It's a myth to say "breast feeding is superior" or vice versa on formula. It's a personal choice and there are pros and cons to both sides.
I formula feed my son and he is intelligent and slightly ahead of his age group in alot of things at 10 months all ready. I don't think doing things differently would change that.
I'm not sure where your partner got their info. but they've been misinformed.
- Tanya - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
formula is there for a reason...
it should be for families left raising a baby when mother has abandoned the baby, has died, has a severe illness (like cancer, where the medication is NOT compatible w/ breastfeeding), or some other serious situation and a family member is not willing or able to be a wet nurse. Or when mother is available, but has had double mastectomy or something like that.
What should I know about infant formula?
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/infant-formula.html
There have been several countries who have stepped in, for the health of their nation's children and have begun to regulate formula, bottles and other artificial infant feeding supplies. Most are available ONLY by doctor's prescription and can only be purchased at regulated pharmacies. http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_24805.html
"surely people who are not breastfed grow up to be perfectly fine?" well no one is completely immune to everything, not even adults who were exclusively breastfed for the first 6-9 months, then adding table foods and weaning from the breast completely at 3 or 4 or 5 years old.
but really poke around online and see how even when genetically and environmentally predisposed to having some kind of condition, allergy, disease, etc... that when you take a group of X# of babies who were breastfed and X# of babies who were not, or only limited to the first month or so of breastmilk... that OVERALL the breastfed babies turn out healthier.
that's not to say that a breastfed baby will not be allergic to anything... but, just a made up example: if a baby is born genetically predisposed to being allergic to 5 different types of food - breastfeeding may help him be only allergic to 2 or 3 of those foods instead............ isn't that worth it?
Here's a great list, 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child, it even has references if you want to research where these reasons came from... http://www.promom.org/101/index.html
- maegs33 - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
Your partner is correct in saying that breastfeeding prevents allergies and eczema.
Does that mean that ALL breastfed babies avoid developing allergies and eczema? No. Does that mean that formula fed babies WILL develop allergies and eczema? No. It just means that statistically, breastfed babies have fewer allergies and suffer from fewer 'skin conditions' than formula fed babies.
(See: "Breastfeeding May Lower Allergy Risk
Group Issues New Guidelines to Prevent Food Allergies, Asthma, and Eczema in Babies"
http://children.webmd.com/news/20080107/breastfeeding-may-lower-allergy-risk)
As with most things, as a parent you don't want to be told that one of your choices might affect your baby adversely, but if you choose to formula feed, you're accepting that statistically, your child might be more prone to ear infections, respiratory problems, certain types of leukemia, obesity, diabetes, and I mean the list goes on and on.
Does that mean that *every* formula fed baby will have health problems? Absolutely not! However, the government and scientific studies have proved the benefits and the risks. Two generations now have been raised on mass marketed cow-based formula, so on average people turn out to be OK (well, other than the obesity epidemic, high rates of cancer and heart disease,) but why take the chance? Why raise your baby's risk if you don't have to?
There is a lot we are just now beginning to uncover regarding the long term health implications of not breastfeeding--including higher breast and ovarian cancer rates in women who never nursed (or were never nursed themselves!) an obesity epidemic, celiac disease, Type II Diabetes, Crohn's Disease--even high rates of heart disease are now being tied to babies who were not fed breastmilk in their early months and whose bodies were unable to process cholesterol later on.
Think of it this way, say a person has a potential to reach a 10 in health and intelligence. If they are breastfed, they might reach a 9, while if formula fed they might reach 7. There might be another person who has a potential to reach a 7 and even if breastfed, they'll only reach a 7.
Obviously, giving a child formula is better than starving them, or better than feeding them evaporated milk from a can with corn syrup (what formula was like 40 years ago.) However, by choosing not to breastfeed, the health of the mother and the baby is statistically more at peril.
- Athena Z - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
Everything I wanted to say has pretty much been said. I was just curious though, why some good answers like NY_attitude's, Chloe's, Tanya's, and maegs33, have gotten thumbs down. They're only saying the truth.
Do some people actually disagree that breastmilk is the only food nature intented for babies?????? Really people, when you give thumbs down you should have valid reasons for doing so.
- halley - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
"Are you saying that women who don't want to breastfeed shouldn't have chidren?" Honey, what kind of question is that? What do you think women did when formula wasn't around? Breastfeeding and motherhood go hand n hand!
Like Chloe and Tanya said, formula is there for cases when mother is unable to breastfeed,for serious reasons.
If you have serious reasons for not being able to breastfeed, then fine. We do the best we can as mothers, and hope for the best. However if you CAN breastfeed, why don't you
want to?
Edit: Witchy woman, you think women should have the option? Do you think any other mammal on earth has the option? Helloooo we're MAMMALS!!
Saying women should have the option, is like saying, "Oh, I wanna have a baby, but I would like a cow to carry it in her womb..." Yes if a woman has problems, she should have the option to use formula, or at least supplement. But I know women that didn't even try it for a day.
And do you think it's fair for dairy cattle to be exploited so that you can have the option? Do you know that cows give birth and their calves are taken away and aren't allowed to be breastfed so that you can have the choice?
- Traci H - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
well there arms will drop off by the time there 13 and if there lucky they will not be plagued with blindness. I'm sorry I'm being so sarcastic but come on there are millions and millions of children out there that were not breastfeed and there all fine some have even gone to university woooh lol
- Maria M - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
My whole family generations back have never breastfed, my grandparents lived well into their 80's even though they chain smoked from the age of 15 & had a terrible diet.
I don't think breastmilk guarantee's a long life with no illnesses, its natures way of providing a baby with nutrients & calories to survive. So many women can't or won't breastfeed, nothing wrong with that, we now have a choice as some clever dick invented formula milk just incase that happens.This way a baby has an even better chance.
I was bottlefed like my mum & grandma, so far me & my mum have only suffered minor ailments & anyway if we did get anything wrong with us i doubt bottlefeeding would be the cause.
How many breastfed babies grew up to develop allergies & serious illnesses?
Just wanted to add, 2 of my friends had babies around the same time as me.Both breastfed their girls, one did it for 6 months, the other did it for 8 months.I tried for 2 weeks, my baby was starving so bottlefed from then on. Both my friends girls have respiritory problems, one has asthma & the other keeps getting chesty coughs that last for up to months at a time. My daughter has had 1 cold & 1 chesty cough which lasted a week before totally clearing up & she's also been a lot faster on development than my friends babies. Im just using this as a statistic, showing that it has to be more than whether the baby was breastfed or not.
- Belinda - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
Most babies who receive formula are just fine, but formula is certainly not the best food for infants. Formula MAY cause skin rashes, and other symptoms, some of which do not show up until later in life. Formula companies are also responsible for killing many, many babies around the world by giving formula to women who do not have a clean water supply or who cannot afford to continue buying formula after their own milk dries up. Dirty marketing.
There is support out there for women who want to breastfeed their babies, even those who are really creeped out by the idea of feeding an infant from a (gasp!) breast. Remember, breasts are for babies. Looking nice is just a side benefit.
Risks of formula feeding (theses are risks, not certainties):
Selling Out Mothers and Babies - Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes in the USA
The practice of feeding babies infant formula, rather than breastmilk carries with it profound risks in modern, industrialized countries, as well as, in developing countries. While many are familiar with the well-publicized tragedies of formula-fed infants in developing countries, many are unaware of how the lack of breastmilk and the use of infant formula compromise the health and well being of children in the United States. These risks are well documented in the medical literature. A few are listed below.
Illness and Hospitalization
Formula feeding accounts for up to 26% of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in children.
Otitis media (middle ear infection) is up to 3-4 times as prevalent in formula-fed infants.
US Formula fed infants have a 10 fold risk of being hospitalized for any bacterial infection.
Mortality
One sudden infant death for every 1000 live birth occurs as a result of failure to breastfeed in western industrialized nations.
For every 1000 babies born in the U.Ss each year, four die because they are not breastfed.
Development and Intelligence
Scores on the Bayley Mental Development Index were lower in formula-fed children at 1-2 years of age. Scores were directly correlated with the duration of breastfeeding.
Formula fed preterm infants had lower IQ scores (8 points) at age 7-8 years than breastfed premies, even after adjustment for mother's education and social class.
Composition and contamination of infant formula
Due to an excessive phosphate load in formula, formula fed infants face a 30 fold risk of neonatal hypocalcemic tetany (convulsions, seizures, twitching) during the first 10 days of life.
Formula fed infants are at a high risk of exposure to life-threatening bacterial contamination. Enterobacter sakazakii is a frequent contaminant in powdered formula and can cause sepsis and meningitis in newborns.
Barriers to breastfeeding
Increasing breastfeeding rates will decrease the risks of formula feeding while optimizing the benefits of breastfeeding. however, there are many barriers to breastfeeding affecting both initiation and duration:
Misinformation and lack of knowledge
Personal attitudes
Cultural norm
Lack of support – by family, partner, hospital, and workplace
Hospital practices and policies
Formula companies’ advertising and hospital practices.
Rare maternal or infant medical conditions
In 1997, Los Angeles county ranked 53rd out of 58 counties for 28% exclusive breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge, while falling far below the state average of 43%.
Click here for references. Specific references available upon request. An excellent source of additional information can be found in Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 (5th Ed) Ruth A. Lawrence and Robert M. Lawrence, MD and/or The Breastfeeding Answer Book, 2003 (3rd ED), Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC and Julie Stock, IBCLC
Risks and Costs of Formula Feeding
For baby, artificial feeding increases the risk of the following diseases (among others*):
• Otitis media (middle ear infection): 3 to 5 times more likely
• Gastroenteritis: 6 times more likely
• Diarrhea
• Respiratory diseases (bronchitis, pneumonia): 2 to 5 times more likely
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Obesity
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): 3 to 5 times more likely
• Lymphomas: 6 to 8 times more likely
• Type-1 Diabetes: 2 to 7 times more likely
• Necrotising enterocolitis: 20 times more likely
• Inflammatory diseases of the intestine (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease): 3 times more likely
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Breast Cancer in girls
• Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Hodgkin's disease
• Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Urinary tract infections
• Vision troubles
• Poor development of jaw muscles and malocclusion
• IQ up to 8-10 points lower
• Tooth decay (« bottle caries »)
• Less effective immunisations (vaccines)
• Premature death (in the first year of life): 26.5% increased risk
*Incidence of all diseases studied is higher in formula-fed babies than in breastfed babies.
For mother, NOT breastfeeding increases the risk for the following diseases (among others)
• Post-partum haemorrhage
• Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer: 2 times more likely
• Ovarian Cancer: 1.6 times more likely
• Endometrial Cancer
• The mother who has Gestational Diabetes is 2 times more at risk of developing type-2 Diabetes later on if she does not breastfeed
• Osteoporosis
Artificial feeding also has an important impact on
FAMILY
• Artificial feeding is very demanding of time and energy: shopping for formula and supplies; preparation, cleaning/sterilising; etc.
• Supplies – milks and accessories - for formula feeding cost, in Canada, between 2000$ and 3000$ per year, per child.
• Medical costs and lost wages stemming from higher illness rates in formula-fed babies are important.
SOCIETY
• Artificial feeding costs the Canadian health care system billions of dollars per year.
THE ENVIRONMENT
• Production and consumption of artificial baby milks are a significant source of pollution.
- angel_falling - 11-27-2012 07:02 AM
We are seeing a lot of effects in adult years, if not in childhood. Increased ear infections, high occurrence of allergy and asthma, weight trouble, decreased IQ (this is debatable as, I'm sorry to say, more intelligent people breastfeed so data is not clear as to whether the results yield from genetics-- parents are smarter-- or the healthy fats for brain formation from breastmilk are helping-- I'm sure its a combination). It's better digested-- little guts are not made for heavy formula. The vitamins and nutrients are easier to absorb in breastmilk than in formula. Formula can cause any number of stomach upsets and its being suggested that many adults today (from the start of the formula height) who suffer from numerous digestive issues from anything such as IBS to Celiac could be a result of this early trauma on the digestive tract. This goes for early introduction of solids, too (before 6 months).
Breastfeeding drastically decrease the chances of breast cancer in the mother, and that continues to decrease with subsequent children. Its also though to reduce the occurrence of osteoporsis in mothers.
The pluses are so huge (its like asking if you should bother feeding your kids fresh vegetables and meats instead of microwave dinners) I can't understand a mother who can breastfed (a very, very very low percentage of women can't breastfed, so there is no excuse) would choose not to-- its pure selfishness... if not, I can't see a good excuse.
Formula is there because a lot of people make a lot of money from it. That's why its there. Convenience culture. It's the same reason obesity is on the rise-- convenience culture.
Let me say this-- over the course of the first year of my baby's life I will have saved hundreds if not thousands by breastfeeding, increased her likelihood for food health and diet, increased my own health (I've lost LOADS of weight as well breastfeeding), decreased our stress levels as I co-sleep and night feeds means I never have to sterilize a bottle and mix formula.
It's only 6 months-2 years of your life. Can't you make that sacrifice for whats best for your baby? I was formula fed, and had early solids-- and I suffer from most of those issues discussed as associated with these things.