They perform comparison studies in usually hundreds of babies at a 
time, occasionally thousands, comparing one modification to another. 
There's follow-up into childhood in some. There are thousands of 
studies. Obviously, as we are all learning more about nutritional 
components, so are they -- in fact I believe they've been a part of the 
impetus for omega-3 awareness for all of us in their recognition that 
part of the brain damage caused/allowed by formula-feeding may be 
related to DHA. Of course, financial considerations (greed) prevent 
formula manufacturers from even using some of the best of their 
science.

Still, the best, so far, nutritional balances have been worked-out over 
the century (and if only their science were as good as their marketing). 
Now the homemade formula makers could evaluate what they have and 
compare it to that which has been developed already --- and hopefully 
improve upon it. They can't base so much on human milk as the 
absorption/accessibility of the nutrients is so incredibly different and 
difficult --- as the formula companies have long realized. 

The hope of the raw-milk supporters is that some of the absorption 
facilitators in milk may still operate. Actually, studies/reports on some 
of the apparent digestion/absorption benefits of raw animal milks (over 
processed milks) show that it's the fermentation effects of the bacteria 
in the milk that are providing most of the little bits of benefit -- not so 
much actual facilitators in the milks. Not that this is bad; it's a good 
solution to some of the drawbacks of formula and cow's milk. Then, just 
like the reductions in immunity and nutrition afforded by 
pasteurized/stored/frozen/re-heated human milk, "raw" milk is seldom 
so fresh from the source, and of course no animal milk comes close to 
human milk in its advanced "technology," and certainly in its specificity 
for humans. The immune provisions are miniscule.

Don't think I'm promoting formula, and don't have disdain for the 
promotion/disinformation practices of the industry. I wrote the 
article "The Deadly Influence of Formula," which I've re-printed on my 
own site sans some of the sensationalism that the original editor had 
put in: http://www.babyreference.com/InfantDeaths.htm  Even the 
industry-promoted focus on nutrition successfully draws attention away 
from all the other benefits of breastmilk and of nursing itself. The big 
travesty (besides all the deaths themselves) is that there is no honesty 
about the mortality (and little honesty about the morbidity) caused by 
unneeded formula use in industrialized countries (this being the cause 
of unneeded formula use/unnecessary deaths). Then the very high 
formula-death rates in developing countries is all so shamelessly 
blamed on the water through subtle industry disinformation campaigns.

It's true that any child that dies (of whatever cause), who was being 
fed a homemade formula (i.e. not provided with "real" artificial 
breastmilk), will likely set-off large media and court reactions, as a 
result of the immense success of formula industry marketing, while no 
parent has ever been prosecuted for withholding breastmilk, when 
available.

linda
"Baby Matters"

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