Gail very eloquently discussed some of the problems with sorting out the
differences between human milk and formula. The more research I do on this the
scarier it gets. I have a ten page bibliography that I use when I lecture on
the hazards of infant formula! To help introduce the concept that the two
fluids are different, you may wish to secure copies of the two Summaries of
the Hazards of Infant Formula from ILCA. These are great to use when you speak
with residents or do in-services for health care types.

Each species has features (an organ, a behavior, a body system, etc) that
serves as major focal points for determining the type, variety, and
interactions of milk components fed to the young. In humans, I believe that
these are the growth and development of the brain, the construction of an
immune system, and the acquisition of affiliative behavior. Infant formula is
an inert nutritional medium with no growth factors, hormones, or live cells.
Babies may grow on it, but they grow and develop differently than if they were
fed human milk. We have known this for a long time. We are responsible for
helping parents and our colleagues understand this too.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, Massachusetts