This is the challenge - moms do think that formula is scientific and vetted
because of the relentless advertising and articles, such as those in
Discover, that talk about the research being done (by Nestle, among others)
into the wonderful properties of human milk. We have to understand what is
being thrown at women and find a way to counteract that, besides just
saying that human milk is the norm, which is the absolute bottom-line truth
but not necessarily persuasive in contrast to the information being put out
by formula companies and scientists who are truly just trying to find new
ways to treat terrible diseases. We need to be creative in our thinking and
in our communication to the modern woman and find a way to provide the
message without alienating the very women we are trying to reach. It would
be nice to have  someone with a lot of money who would be willing to spend
it compiling the data needed to continue to support the fact that
breastfeeding and human milk is what we should be providing to our babies
whenever possible. We need to continually update our information and
statistics to keep pace with current research that may support the opinion
that formula is becoming more and more "the same" as human milk and that
the actual act of breastfeeding has limited value. We know better, but how
do we make it resonate with more women and fit breastfeeding into their
vision of motherhood, not just for a few weeks but for a year or more?

Sharon Knorr, IBCLC, Colorado, USA



On Fri, May 11, 2012 at 7:36 AM, Elizabeth Brooks <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> The statement is made "I want to know that, when that formula is used, it's
> as good-quality a product as is possible" in conjunction with thoughtful
> commentary about the pitfalls (monetary, societal, biological) of
> widespread human milk banks.  Situations where rare-but-actual medical
> conditions make use of pooled donor milk risky, when the milk comes from
> women whose health and eating habits may not specifically be known, are
> mentioned.  These are indeed very real risks -- I do not challenge the
> notion.
>
> And yet.
>
> The notion that infant formula has somehow been tested, vetted, screened
> and designed within an inch of its infants-will-use-it-anyway life is
> simply not true.  It is "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) under Food
> and Drug Administration regulations in the USA, considered a food item
> rather than a drug.  Any alterations to formula are allowed to occur --
> without any prior approvals or testing for quality or even safety.  All the
> infant formula mfgr has to do is "provide assurances" that whatever tweaks
> and additions have occurred are OK ("This omega oil produced from seaweed
> is safe.  Honest it is.")    Any problems that arise are discovered by what
> I call "The Oops Method:"  enough reports of adverse reactions are filed by
> doctors or consumers -- after the fact -- to warrant a recall of the item.
>  To learn more about the FDA's oversight of formula see:
>
> http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/InfantFormula/default.htm
>
> Always makes me wonder how those families whose babies *were* affected by
> using formula that resulted in adverse impacts or harm would have felt, had
> they known the substance they were exclusively offering their children
> hadn't been tested, and was being marketed on a
> chances-are-more-likely-than-not-that-it-is-okay basis.
>
> --
> Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA
> Wyndmoor, PA, USA
>
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