FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

[BREAST MILK, UNLIKE FORMULA, IMPROVES YOUR BABY'S IMMUNITY]

Question: I recently saw an episode of "Chicago Hope" on TV and a baby died of dehydration because the mother was breast-feeding and was afraid to use formula as a supplement to her inadequate supply of breast milk. Is this a common problem? Also, one of the doctors on the show was breastfeeding her baby, and it was portrayed as being more sickly than a bottle-fed baby. Does formula have more nutrients? With the all inconveniences of breastfeeding and these other possible problems, should a modern woman use formula for her baby?

Answer: Humans have been on this planet for quite a while. During most of this time the only sustenance for babies has been mother's milk. Obviously, it is an adequate food, or our ancestors wouldn't have survived.

It is only in the past few generations that satisfactory substitutes for mother's milk have become available, and for a time it became fashionable to only use these prepared formulas. Though society now recognizes that this fad was not a healthy one, we are at a time in our history where most grandmothers in the United States were raised as bottle-fed babies instead of being breast-fed. The experiences of the nation's grandmothers have considerable influence on new mothers and their decisions about breastfeeding.

Some breast-fed babies fail to get adequate nutrition, as you saw depicted in the television show. This is often due to poor breastfeeding technique rather than an inadequate quality or quantity of milk. The new mother's mother would traditionally be the one to teach these techniques, but since she probably didn't nurse her children (because of a diverse set of personal and cultural factors), she can provide little or no help in this situation. Because this is such a common problem, essentially all hospitals now have someone who can teach the new mother proper nursing techniques. All she needs to do is ask.

Formula and breast milk are increasingly similar in terms of nutrients. That is good for babies. Breast milk, however, also contains many important substances that help provide immunity from infection and, thereby, aid your baby's developing system in fighting disease. These potent substances can't be duplicated in formula. There is also an important aspect of bonding between mother and baby that nursing provides.

Technically, formula can have a slightly higher concentration of proteins, vitamins and minerals than human milk, so you can correctly say that formula is more nutritious. This can be an advantage for low birth weight infants, but for most babies it makes no difference at all.

Choosing to nurse your baby or to bottle feed should not be a simple snap decision. There are definite positive benefits from nursing that make me recommend it strongly, but it isn't the correct choice for all mothers and babies. Talk to your doctor, your mother, someone from the La Leche League, and your friends. Make an informed decision.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.