Hi Pat,
I think that this is a pretty common answer, but really it describes one of
the reasons why breastfeeding is important rather than why formula fed
infants become ill more often. I would suggest that the reasons why using
infant formula contribute to illness is a bit different. Yes, it's to do
with depriving babies of breastmilk (which contains a hell of a lot more
than antibodies to fight infection like glycan decoys and lactoferrin and
white cells and growth factors etc). But then there are the active ways that
infant formula makes babies more vulnerable like damaging the intestinal
lining so that bacteria and viruses can get in easier and destroying some of
the babies natural defenses (like killing off beneficial bacteria), actively
making an environment that fosters the growth of pathogenic bacteria and
retarding the development of the infant's own immune system.
Do you think less parents would use formula if they knew this?
Karleen Gribble
Australia

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Young" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: how do people not know?


>> What would you say if someone asked you why using infant formula
>> increased the risk of infection?
>>
> I tell moms that breastmilk is full of antibodies that protect the baby
> against any germs/viruses in the household that mom and baby are exposed
> to. Mom starts making the antibodies immediately and that's why even  if
> BF babies get the same cold all her sibs have, it won't be as bad.  I
> explain antibodies like little pac men that gobble up germs/viruses.  Not
> very sophisticated, but parents understand what I'm tellingthem.  Pat in
> SNJ
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