Many leading health organizations encourage women to breastfeed their babies; their milk is an ideal source of nutrition for infants and has many components not found in formula. For personal or health reasons, however, mothers may make the choice to use infant formula. These products are nutritious and most children do well on them. It is important, however, to understand the potential drawbacks and long-term risks of baby formula.
Digestive Issues
Most formula is produced using cow's milk, which contains more protein and other substances that can be challenging for the young digestive system. The altered milk provides essential nutrients and resembles breast milk, so many babies can handle the formula without problems. Yet they can also be allergic to the protein in cow's milk; in fact, this affects up to 3 percent of infants, according to the Nemours Foundation's KidsHealth website. Children often outgrow this by age 5, but in the meantime the formula-fed baby may have gastrointestinal distress and irritability.
Nutrition and Immune Function
Formula is fortified with many nutrients, such as vitamins, iron, macronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Despite these enhanced formulations, these products can't offer the plethora of nutritional content that breast milk can. Breast milk contains enzymes that help the digestive system break down and absorb nutrients from food. One of the most prominent concerns about formula is that it lacks antibodies that help build up babies' immune systems. Breast milk, on the other hand, contains substances that aid in fending off allergies, parasitic infections and viruses.
Effects
This lack of immune support in formula can have substantial effects on both the short-term and long-term health of infants. Babies who are fed formula are at greater risk for a disease affecting the GI tract called necrotizing enterocolitis, according to the Office on Women's Health. Left untreated, the disease can be fatal. Formula-fed infants are also more likely to have lower respiratory infections, ear infections and skin problems. They are at increased risk for other health problems when they are older children. These include asthma, obesity, diabetes and pediatric leukemia.
When Formula is Needed
Despite these concerns, formula is sometimes the best option for certain infants. Some mothers may not produce enough breast milk to provide adequate nutrition to their babies. Women with certain health problems must also use formula rather than their own milk. Such cases include mothers who are malnourished or have a drug or alcohol problem. Women infected with HIV/AIDS, herpes on the breasts, hepatitis or active tuberculosis should give their babies formula as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cows Milk for Infants and Children
- KidsHealth; Milk Allergy in Infants; Ramaan Sreedharan, MD, et al.
- California Department of Health Services; How Does Formula Compare to Breast Milk?; March 2005
- Womenshealth.gov: Why Breastfeeding is Important
- PubMed Health: Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding
