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JUMP TO: Reasons 1-12 - Reasons 13-27

Just 27 of the Many Reasons Why
Born to Love Supports Breast-Feeding!

Ce qu'Anne-Laure voit photo by ODHD on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

1. Human milk is designed for human babies.

Many chemicals, additives, types of sugars, artificial vitamins and minerals must be added to cow's milk to make it tolerable for the human infant . . . but still it is not nutritionally-complete.

2. Human milk varies: During a feeding, over a day's time, from one breast to another, one mother to another and over time.

The milk of the mother of a premature baby is higher in many of the growth factors and other nutrients her baby will need. In cold climates, there is more fat for energy. In hot, more water to prevent dehydration.

3. Human milk is low in iron, yet is well-utilized.

An artificially-fed baby's gut bacteria takes most of the iron in formula, which encourages the growth of more bacteria which can cause gut damage, disease and blood loss. Zinc deficiency can be caused by too much iron.

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4. Human milk is low in protein, yet contains other easily absorbed compounds for nutrition and protection against infection.

Proteins in artificial formulas are not as well-utilized, so more protein must be added. To break down this extra protein and excrete the wastes causes an additional stress on your baby's immature liver and kidneys.

5. Human milk is ready-to-feed.

Parents can and have made mistakes in preparing artificial formulas. Ranging from over-concentration (leading to hypernatraemia and brain damage) to over-dilution (leading to failure-to-thrive, even starvation) and sickness from poor hygiene and storage.

6. Human milk needs no added water.

Most artificial formulas must be mixed with water, yet variations in the mineral and trace elements in water can be considerable. A formula with added fluorine, mixed with fluorinated water, may added up to a toxic level of an element known to interfere with enzyme action. Prolonged boiling concentrates the mineral load. Pollutants are being found even in treated city water.

7. Human milk helps to protect your baby from infections.

Lactoferrin, the iron transfer protein, inhibits staphylococci, E. coli and thrush, unless your baby is overloaded with iron. The B12 transfer factor starves harmful bacteria to the nutrients essential for their growth. Yet, cow's milk is designed to encourage this bacterial growth for digestion, making it an ideal culture for the growth of bacteria which is harmful to humans.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding Click for more info: US | CA | UK

8. Human milk comes in a safe container.

In the past, there have been problems with the lead solder leaching into the artificial formula. This lead to the destruction of B vitamins in one formula in the 1950's. Lead is a cumulative poison that damages the brain. Tin-alloy cans leach tin, which can cause a zinc deficiency. High quantities of the plasticizers, used to line some formula cans, were found in the artificial milk after a conveyor belt malfunctioned.

9. Human milk can help protect against the development of Childhood Diabetes.

Due to the many nutritional differences, the breast-fed baby's endocrine responses differ from those of the artificially-fed baby.

10. Human milk is living tissue.

It includes many substances that affect your baby's use of nutrients and also the immune capacity. Even the lack of one specific nutrient can cause immune deficiency.

11. Human milk contains, at last count, 60-70 enzymes.

Since the function of some of these enzymes is still unknown, it is impossible to guess what the absence from artificial formulas might mean.

12. Human milk contains high concentrations of growth factors.

Researchers say this may be important to the growth and reproduction of infant tissues. Growth factors are especially high in the milk of mothers of premature babies. Insulin, also present in human milk, is considered to act as a growth factor. As well, growth factors protect the gastrointestinal tract and prevent the growth of duodenal ulcers.

JUMP TO: Reasons 1-12 - Reasons 13-27

RESOURCES:

Another interesting article on breastfeeding:

RECOMMENDED READING:

This article compliments of Born to Love.

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Born to Love articles are written by Catherine McDiarmid-Watt

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Last updated - April 5, 2024