Experts in the area of infant nutrition agree on the fact that breast milk is a perfect food for infants because it is balanced in all the areas of nutrition that promote healthy growth of the body, nervous system, organs and brain. Parents who opt to use formula in place of breast milk may need to pay more attention to ingredients as well as amounts to ensure proper nutrition for optimal brain, nervous system and physical development. In either case, the goal is a happy, healthy, properly nourished baby.
The Significance of Fat
Essential fatty acids are special fats that provide vital nourishment to the insulating sheath, called myelin, of each nerve in the brain and nervous system. Myelin helps nerve impulses travel faster, which is very important for brain health. Breast milk is very high in essential fatty acids even if the mother's diet is sub-par to ensure optimal development for her infant even in times of hardship or malnutrition.
The Function of Cholesterol
According to pediatric expert Dr. William Sears, cholesterol is found in the highest levels in human milk when compared to cow's milk or formula. With all the bad press about cholesterol for adults, this might look bad for breast-feeding moms. However, cholesterol provides basic components of hormones, vitamin D, intestinal bile and is an integral player in providing infants with optimal brain growth. Exclusively breast-fed infants have higher blood cholesterol at the stage of most rapid brain growth while formula-fed babies are given scant amounts of this much needed fat. Breast-feeding advocates cite correlations between a rise in the adult inability to process cholesterol along with a rise in formula feedings; the hypothesis being that infants who are given the proper high levels of cholesterol in breast milk may be better equipped to deal with cholesterol in adulthood than their peers raised on low-cholesterol formula.
The Power of Protein
The building blocks of brain health and growth are found in quality protein. The first year of a baby's life is a time wherein he will grow faster than any other phase of his life. Breast milk contains proteins specifically designed for infant growth and are not contained in any type of formula. Formula does contain proteins, but they are not as easily digested as the proteins found in breast milk. Formula proteins demand more caloric export to the digestive tract to deal with the less friendly proteins while more easily digestible breast-milk proteins allow more caloric export to brain growth needs.
The Sweetness of Sugar
Nutritionists believe that galactose, a type of lactic sugar found in breast milk, is a vital nutrient for the development of the central nervous system, which includes the brain. Anthropological research indicates that higher levels of lactose indicates larger brains and higher levels of intelligence. Formulas add sucrose or glucose to make up for the difference in sugar levels found naturally in breast milk.
Breast Milk for Smarter Kids
Numerous studies have shown that breast-feeding boosts development, including one published in 1999 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" conducted by James W. Anderson and colleagues that compared babies who received breast milk versus a quality formula. The infants who were given breast milk scored an average of 8.3 points higher on IQ tests than their formula-fed peers. The research suggested a dose response formation wherein the more breast milk received correlated with better scores. This difference could not be explained away with maternal nurturing alone because all the infants were fed in the same way through an external tube. There are nearly 400 known components in breast milk that are not present in any brand of formula.
References
- "The Baby Book"; William Sears, M.D and Martha Sears, R.N.; 2008
- The Breastfeeding Book"; William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N.; 2007
- "Natural Mental Health"; Carla Wills-Brandon; 2006
- "Understanding and Applying Medical Anthropology"; Peter Brown and Ron Barrett; 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Breast-feeding and Cognitive Development: A Meta-analysis; James W. Anderson, et al; October 1999
