What harm will not breastfeeding your children do?

[Witchy Woman]

My partner said it may cause them to develop horrible allergies and skin conditions.

I'm not saying I don't believe him, but surely people who are not breastfed grow up to be perfectly fine?
Chloe: Are you trying to say that women who don't want to breastfeed should not have children?

Formula is there for a reason.
If formula was only meant to be for women who had no other option, it wouldn't be available to all women.

A woman should have the option.

[justme]

It won't do your child any harm. Breastfeeding has its advantages, but formula milk is so advanced now they won't miss out on much.

[Steph]

NOT TRUE
breast milk has certain nutrients in it that can not be duplicated in formula, it gives you and your child a bonding chance, and is great do do...
however, it will not harm your baby in any way to let them just use formula if for some reason you cannot or do not want to breastfeed, i personally am sick of people bashing others who do not breastfeed, i was unable to breastfeed my daughter, so i pumped my milk and gave it to her until my milk dried up which was not my original plans and those people make you feel like a horrible mom or inadequate when you were not able to or just did not... do what you want honey cause breastfeeding is a lot more work on mom than men realize in the first place, you have to watch your diet, can not take certain medications, and can not let many other people feed your baby which means you can not leave very often...

[Amanda]

Your baby will be fine if you choose not to breat feed. A nurse actually told me if the mother is uncomfortable the baby will be also. If you do not have the desire and you breast feed its just going to make it worse. This is your child listen to yourself and go with your gut. Dont try to make others happy. You know what to do best your the mommy.

[lisa]

Breastfeeding or formula-feeding are personal choices. Breastfeeding does boost the immune system. However, my daughter was formula-fed and has been sick maybe 5 times in her 5 years of life...and that's counting colds. She has no allergies either. I think genetics honestly plays a larger role in that then breastfeeding vs formula-feeding.

[Chloe]

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.

[Tanya]

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/i...rmula.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

[halley]

"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?

[Belinda]

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.

[Lauren F]

You may not notice your child having any specific skin or other health problems like respiratory illnesses and allergies. That doesn't mean he isn't at an increased RISK of those things. Statistics proving the superiority of breastmilk and lowered risks of countless diseases are based on THOUSANDS of children, not one or two. There are lucky kids who despite being formula fed, are healthy and intelligent (my husband is a fine example!).
We as parents should want to do what is best for our children. That includes breastfeeding, or at least educating yourself on it and really TRYING to, even if you fail or end up having a medical reason not to. It's agreed upon by all experts (the AAP, WHO, Dr Sears, etc) that breastfeeding will always be better than formula. Even the formula companies admit it! Scientists cannot even figure out all the components of breastmilk. It's a miraculous, perfect food designed for our children, who as others have pointed out, are NOT calves.
The formula companies are a BUSINESS. They care only about making money. Did you know that the cost of making formula is only 16 cents for every DOLLAR?? Nice profit margin, huh?
"Formula is there for a reason"--The only reason it should be there is if a woman physically cannot nurse (less than 5% of the population, in case you're interested). It's selfish to not even attempt to breastfeed.
Do your research and you'll see that overall, breastfeeding IS the best option for children.

Edit: "If formula was only meant to be for women who had no other option, it wouldn't be available to all women.
A woman should have the option."
And a baby deserves at least a SHOT at the best! We are supposed to make sacrifices for our children; spending the time and effort with them in order to nurse is just one sacrifice of many we should make. I'll never understand choosing FOURTH best (Breastmilk, pumped breastmilk, breastmilk from a milk bank, THEN formula--the experts agree) for my precious babies.