Artificial Infant Milk: Voldermort of Baby Feeding!

An article in today's Age by Leo Shanahan finally dares to ask the question; why isn't artificial infant milk named for the risks it poses to human health?:

"FORMULA feeding is not being described as a health risk to children because researchers are too scared to do so, according to Australian National University academics.

A new paper from the Centre for Economics Research on Health argues that despite weighty evidence that breast-fed children are less likely to suffer from type 1 diabetes, allergies, infections, die of infant death syndrome or develop certain cancers, researchers are not willing to name formula as a danger in the titles or summaries of studies [note from sarah@ilithyia inspired: this should read "weighty evidence that children fed artificial milk are more likely to suffer from type 1 diabetes, allergies, infections, die of infant death syndrome or develop certain cancers"].

The report's author, Dr Julie Smith, compared the fear to naming formula to the way the evil overlord Voldemort is treated in the Harry Potter novels.

"We looked at the findings of nearly 80 authoritative studies, all of which highlighted that formula-fed babies tend to be at higher risk of poor health than children fed on breast milk," she said.

"Yet the vast majority of these studies did not mention formula feeding in the places that matter most for lasting impressions: headlines and abstracts.

"Rather than naming formula feeding as a significant risk factor, researchers seem to be treating this subject like Voldemort in the Harry Potter novels, as He Who Shall Not Be Named," Dr Smith said.

Dr Smith said despite American Academy of Pediatrics citing stating that breast feeding should always be used over bottle feeding where possible, mothers and doctors were left confused by studies that associated breastfeeding not formula with health problems..."

Why aren't the dangers of artificial infant milk being named openly? Because the companies who profit from the consumption of artificial milk have done a fantastic job of marketing their product for decades! They've got it to a point where the consumers they have won do most of their marketing for them. We live in a culture of "don't say anything bad about artificial feeding or you'll make a mother feel guilty". As with any war, truth was the first causality of the war between artificial milk and breastfeeding.

What upsets me far more than this, is that even some breastfeeding advocates refuse to participate in this war, often prioritising "being nice" (to the large coprorations that make money from selling a product that is inferior, poses health risks and is completely unnecessary in a world full of lactating breasts!) over their advocacy and support of other women! Every time breastfeeding makes it into the media some breastfeeding advocate feels the need to say "but if you can't breastfeed, that's okay". The decision to play nice and preface their advocacy for breastfeeding with mentions of not breastfeeding also help those big companies market their powder.

This is unacceptable. Families should know the truth about artificial milk because none of them are making informed choices otherwise. Feeding your child artificial milk is HIGHLY inferior to breastfeeding. Artificial milk does pose helath risks - it is man made and with that comes a lot of risks of human error and contamination. This is not to mention the fact that by breastfeeding you decrease many health risks that otherwise might have been posed to mother and baby!

The health of babies and young children should be the number one priority, it should be prioritiesed over and above not offending other adults and it should definitely be prioritised over being nice to large coporations!

You can read the whole article from The Age here.

Skin to Skin!
Plastic to Plastic

For information about the importance of breastfeeding and dangers of artificial breast milk read:

Bottle Feeding

101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child

Artificial Feeding – Nothing To Do With Breastfeeding

Consumer Research on Infant Formual and Infant Feeding

Formula for Disaster

Genetic Engineering and Infant Foods

Hot Milk - The Unbottled Truth About Formula

IBFAN

International Breastfeeding Journal

Just One Bottle

Misinformation: Redefining Baby Feeding

Myths

Suck on This

Toxic Phthalates in Infant Formulas

The Case of The Virgin Gut

The Language of Breastfeeding

The Risks of Infant Formula Feeding

What Should I Know About Infant Formula

Yes! Just One Bottle Will Hurt!