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When it comes to having a baby, the biggest debate between parents is which method to use to feed their child. Whether it is breastfeeding or formula, every parent has their own opinion on what method they use and why they think it is beneficial to their child. Although breastfeeding and formula are both good ways to feed an infant, breast milk has so many more benefits than formula. Breastfeeding also has many advantages not only for the child, but for the mother as well, which is why it is the best method to use when having a child. This article will show you why some people choose formula over breast milk, the disadvantages of formula, and then all the great benefits breast milk has to offer and why it is the best. When choosing formula parents like it better than breastfeeding because they think it is more convenient or it may be their only choice of option. If a mother can not produce enough milk, has a transmission disease like HIV/AIDS, or if she has cancer or implants, formula will be the parents next option besides breastfeeding. There are many different types of formulas to fit the needs of an infant which is why it is suitable for parents. When choosing baby formula, the mother needs to make sure that the kind of formula they are using is right for their baby. Baby formula such as cows milk based formula is the normal type parents usually use when they do not breastfeed. Gentle formula is for babies who are fussy and have stomach issues. Soy formulas and lactose free formulas are for babies who can not tolerate lactose. Added rice starch formula is for babies who have acid reflux. There are formulas for premature babies to help them

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gain weight and there are also formulas for babies who are allergic to milk proteins. If a mother has problems with breastfeeding, they will feel confident using formula because of the different varieties for each individual baby. Parents may also choose formula over breastfeeding because they think formula is more convenient and it has nutrition an infant needs. When feeding an infant formula, anyone can feed the baby instead of just the mother. Everyone gets the chance to bond with the child. Parents can pass the baby around during feedings so others get the chance to experience what it is like to hold the child and bond with them. This also allows the father to connect with the baby because fathers usually feel left out when a mother decides to breastfeed their baby. When a mother is breastfeeding she has a stronger bond with the baby than everyone else, so feeding the baby formula allows everyone, including the father to bond and get the chance to share that special moment. With breastfeeding there are some disadvantages, which is why parents choose formula. The disadvantages of breastfeeding is discomfort, diet, and time and frequency. At first, mothers feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding. They are also in pain when nursing the first couple weeks from the baby latching onto their nipples, causing irritation, rawness, and soreness on the nipples. Time is very important for mothers who are breastfeeding because they are constantly having to feed their baby. Because breast milk digests faster than formula, breast fed babies need

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to be fed every 2-3 hours. This makes it difficult for the mother to run errands, go to work or school, and do regular activities because they are constantly having to feed the baby, even with the help of a breast pump. Diet is another thing a mother has to watch because whatever she eats or drinks, it gets passed on to the baby through the breast milk. A mother who chooses baby formula to feed her child, does not have to worry about timing and doing activities because all they have to do is bring water and a can of formula to mix when the baby is hungry. Mothers can eat and drink whatever they want also. They do not need to diet or watch what goes into their mouth because it is not going to transfer to the baby. Parents who choose to feed their infant formula over breastfeeding may also be because breast milk enhances jaundice in infants earlier than what is expected. Jaundice is a condition in which the baby has too much bilirubin and the skin has a yellowish color and the eyes are very white. Although jaundice is common is most infants, breast milk tends to give infants it before baby formula will. The reason why breast milk gives infants jaundice sooner is because of the lack of lactation the infant is consuming. Mothers who are breastfeeding may think their baby is getting enough milk while feeding but in most cases they are not which will decrease the infants stool output with the outcome of increased bilirubin levels. Although this is a reason why parents do not breastfeed, this problem can be reduced. The best way to lower jaundice in breast fed infants is to inform mothers on it and to teach them the proper way to breastfeed so they

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know their infant is receiving enough milk and they can prevent jaundice at an earlier stage of the babys life. Although parents may think that formula is healthy for their infant, the disadvantages definitely outweigh the advantages. The disadvantages of formula is that the mother or whoever is feeding the baby has to be careful on how to store bottles and prepared mixes. Prepared formula needs to be stored in the refrigerator within one hour and it needs to be thrown out if half empty after feedings or if it has been sitting at room temperature for more than an hour. This can cost a lot because formula is used up too quickly. Formula can cost up to $1,500 the first year of the infants life. A Jamaican mother brought her two sick children, a four month-old son and an eighteen month-old daughter to a clinic to get them checked out. The doctor, Alan Jackson, who was caring for these sick children, was completely shocked by the childrens appearances. The four month-old only weighed five pounds and her eighteen month-old only weighed eight pounds. They were both very much underweight and Dr. Jackson found out that the mother never breast fed her children and was diluting their formula with mostly water to make it last longer because she couldnt afford formula all the time. One can of formula that should only last about three days for one child, was lasting over two weeks for both of her children. Dr. Jackson noticed that most of his sick patients that were infants were formula fed instead of being breast fed. Studies show that women from third world countries could not

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breastfeed because they lacked nourishment and were unable to produce milk so they had to use formula. Most of these women were from a poor or low income family so they had to dilute most of the formula with water to last longer, which made the children malnourished and ill. According to Dr. Stephen Joseph, an official for the United States Agency for International Development, 11 million infants that were malnourished died before the age of one and he blamed baby formula for most of these fatal occurrences. Another disadvantage of formula is that it can cause development and health problems in children. Formula does not contain all the antibody breast milk has in order to protect infants against illnesses, diseases, and infections. Because formula is not easily digested in infants, it can cause constipation, gassiness, and stomach problems. Studies show that if an infant is digesting formula instead of breast milk, which has over 700 bacterias to nourish and help protect against foreign organisms, can get a serious stomach disease called necrotizing enterocolitis, which can be fatal in the early stage of the infants life. Baby formula can also lead to obesity. Studies show that babies who are fed formula instead of breast milk weigh more and have higher insulin levels. Carolyn Slupsky, a researcher at the University of California, states This is the first time somebody has a glimpsed into the mechanism of whats going on with formula, a call to arms to the formula companies to come up with better formulas that are going to ensure the health of our future population(Solomon 7-8). Formula fed babies have higher risks of complications such as

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obesity, diabetes, liver and cardiovascular problems. Another problem with formula is that too much iron in it is a risk factor for children. Iron is a nutrient that helps a child grow and develop. With too little iron, a child can become anemic, where the body does not produce enough red blood cells, which can also lead to problems with walking and talking. A study in 1991 confirmed that too much iron harms a child, when they tested 835 infants at six months old, feeding half formula with low-iron, 2.3 mg/L and the other half high-iron, 12.7 mg/L until the age of one year-old. After ten years, 500 of the children were given critical, logical and motor tests, where they noticed that high-iron formula children were far behind the low-iron formula children. Betsy Lozoff, the studys principle investigator and research professor at the University of Michigan in Arbor states, These children scored 11 points lower in IQ levels and 12 points lower in visual-motor integration(Fontenot 34).The study does show that too much iron in baby formula will cause serious side effects in an infant when they get older. The benefits that breastfeeding has over baby formula is so much more powerful. There may be some disadvantages of breastfeeding, which are mostly opinions from parents, but health benefits and positive effects breastfeeding has on both mother and child definitely outweigh anything based on formula. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that breastfeeding is strongly recommended because it helps infants fight against disease and infection. It helps decrease all kinds of illnesses in infants such as diarrhea, botulism, ear infections, breathing

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problems like asthma and pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bacterial infections, diabetes, digestive diseases, lymphoma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding is so beneficial to both mother and child, because the breast milk has so many vitamins and minerals. Breast milk contains two types of proteins, whey and casein. It also contains lactoferrin, which inhibits iron growth; Secretary IgA, which protects against organisms such as Escherichia coli ([Link]), bacterial and viral infections; and Lysozyme, which protects against bacteria in food poisonings such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella. It also enhances the growth of anti-lamasery functions. Fats found in breast milk help support nervous system development and brain development. Vitamins such as vitamin A,D,E,K and C gives babies adequate nutrition to grow healthy. Carbohydrates, such as lactose, is also in breast milk to aid in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Breastfeeding not only helps infants fight against disease and infections, it also helps mothers reduce the risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer by 24%. It helps women shrink their uterine faster to reduce bleeding and cancers listed above. Breastfeeding also lowers the mothers chance of obesity. When a mother is nursing they have to have at least 500 calories more in their diet a day, so they will be eating a lot of healthy food. This is good for the baby also not only because they are receiving healthy nutrients, but they will be able to taste all the different flavors of food through the breast milk. Mothers lose weight

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when breastfeeding from transferring 400-600 calories per day to their infant and it helps them be protected against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure. According to the U.S. Nurses Health Study, women who do not breastfeed their child has increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Breastfeeding also has greatly impacted the bond between mother and child. Studies have proven that the bond mother and child have during nursing is far more powerful than any other human contact. Another study shows that if a woman nurses her infant, she is less likely to become pregnant again sooner than usual. Thus had prevented women in Africa four pregnancies per female and in Bangladesh 6.5 pregnancies per female. This is great because couples want to enjoy their infant before rushing into having another baby. People tend to wait a year or so to try for another child, so this is a great advantage to breastfeeding for those who do not want another child right away. Breast milk also reduces mental issues in the mother and child. Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to have anxiety and children who have been breast fed are more mature and stable than children who were baby formula fed. People who were breast fed for as little as two weeks were less likely to become depressed. People who were not breast fed has a higher risk of being diagnosed with major depression. A study of both males and females, where 52 patients were treated for major depression and 106 patients that never had it, found that 72% of the group that never had depression were breast fed and 42% of the group that has major depression were never

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breast fed and were formula fed instead. Researchers believe that although these patients were only breast fed for as little as two weeks, the boost of oxytocin, a hormone that is a stress reducer, helped them fight against depression. Researchers also found a gene known as FADS2 is found in people who were breast fed when they were infants. This gene converts fatty acids into polyunsaturated fatty acids that are found already in breast milk. It may be the reason why people who were breast fed have higher IQs than people who were baby formula fed, but it may also be the genetic makeup of the infant. Studies show that the nutrients in breast milk has a great advantage on humans brains and their IQ levels. A study of more than 3,000 breast fed infants show that if they had the gene FADS2, their IQ level would be higher by seven points than infants who did not have the gene. Not only does genes have an impact on humans IQ levels, but how they were raised and grew up is also a key factor. Professor Moffitt, the studys scientist, states Were finding that nature and nurture work together(Leung 9). Convenience is a huge thing, especially for women who have children. Breastfeeding is great for this purpose because it is convenient and is reliable with economic issues. For starters, its free! Parents will never have to run to the store to get more cans like they would have to with formula. It is always available when needed. Breast milk also saves trips and money for medical care for illnesses that it helps fight against. Studies shows that breastfeeding will save 1,000 lives

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and 13 billion dollars in cost a year. If women breast fed longer, they would not have to pay for any medical issues that someone who was feeding their infant formula would have to. Studies show that most costs are due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), necrotizing enterocolitis, and pneumonia. Breast milk helps prevent and protect against all these health problems in infants. Dr. Melissa Bartick, the studys co-author argues that more actions need to be done to help mothers understand the importance of breastfeeding and why they need to do it. This is an example that can go back to the study on the Jamaican mother with her two sick babies. If she was more aware with breastfeeding and saw how much money she could save by doing it, her children, who are suffering malnourishment from not receiving enough formula, would be a lot healthier and would not be in the condition that they are in. Women chose formula because they either can not produce enough milk or have a transmission disease and that they do not want to transfer the disease to their baby if they were to breastfeed. There is not an alternative so every mother gets the chance to breastfeed their infant. In Melbourne, Australia, people and hospitals wanted the Federal Government to fund for milk banks. This would be a great way to increase the rate of breastfeeding because it allows babies whose mothers can not produce enough milk, get the right amount of nutrition for the first six months after birth. In 2001 the National Health Survey concluded that 83% of babies were being breast fed during and after being discharged from the hospital but after three months, only

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57% were still breastfeeding (Nader 17). This is another example why milk banks should be funded for so the percentage of breastfeeding should stay at 100% from the time the baby is born to at least until the baby is six months of age or older. Mothers who wish to donate their milk to other babies would go through a process to make sure they are eligible to help. Tests would be done to show that the mother has no transmission infections and once it comes back negative, the mother would store their milk in sterile containers to be then sent to a lab to test the milk for any bacteria that may be left over. Once that test comes back negative, it is then pasteurized and is ready to be given to an infant in need. Hospitals encourage milk banks especially for neonatal care units because when the baby is in critical care and the mother can not produce enough milk yet, this is a perfect way to help these babies. Milk banks should be encouraged all over because it will help all infants get the nutrients they need when the mother can not do it. If an infected mother of HIV/AIDS wants to breastfeed her infant, there is an antiretroviral prophylactic therapy that helps reduce the risk of the child getting the disease for up to 48 weeks. This therapy is 28 weeks long and is for mothers who are ages fourteen or older, 30 weeks or less pregnant, and have CD4 counts of at least 150 cell per/L. During a period of time, mother and child will receive oral doses of nevirapine, zidovudine, and lamivudine, and will follow a check up ten times during the first 28 weeks. 93% of infants became infected with HIV between weeks 2 and 48 and 30% became infected with HIV after 28 weeks. Serious problems like diarrhea,

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tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and even death occurred more in infants after 28 weeks of treatment than before taking it. Although infant death increased after 28 weeks of therapy, researchers claim that if infants were given antiretroviral prophylaxis for a longer period of time, it can decrease infant death rates and still have lower rates of HIV mother-to-child transmission. This is a good way for infants to receive nutrients from breast milk for a little period of time even with the mother having HIV/AIDS. Although baby formula has some good points on why parents use it, there should be no excuse why children are not being breast fed. Formula does not have all benefits breast milk has such as antibodies, hormones, anti-viruses, anti-allergies, anti-parasites, growth factors, and enzymes. Breastfeeding is so much more beneficial to both mother and child and definitely outweighs formula over everything. With breastfeeding, there is always an alternative for infants to get all the vitamins and minerals they need to grow healthy and strong. Breast milk is natural and is great for the baby and the mother. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all mothers should nourish their baby with breast milk for six months after delivery. Studies show that even if a mother breastfeeds for three months, they are still giving their baby nutrition they need and the mother is reducing the health issues that could come across if they hadnt of breast fed. There is nothing better than breast milk for mother and child. It has everything to promote growth and a healthy, nutritional baby.

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Works Cited

"Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding." KidsHealth. Nemours Childrens Hospital. Web. 2 Oct 2013.

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Breastfed babies have a lower risk of major depression in adulthood. Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine, 24.4 Dec. 2012: 152+. Academic OneFile. Web. 24. Sept. 2013.

Clark, Mary. Clinical update: Understanding jaundice in the breastfed infant. Community Practitioner 86.6 (2013): 42+. Academic OneFile. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.

Falco, Miriam. "Study: Lack of Breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars." CNN Health. CNN Medical News, 06 04 2010. Web. 30 Sep 2013.

Fontenot, Beth. "Too Much Iron in Infant Formula Could Be Harming Your Babies." The Atlantic Monthly Group. 09 12 2011. Web. 30 Sep 2013.

"Healthy Milk, Healthy Baby." Natural Resources Defense Council: The Earth's Best Defense. 25 Mar 2005. Web. 2 Oct. 2013.

Iannelli, Vincent. "Choosing a Baby Formula." Health Pediatrics. Child Nutrition Basics, 22 May 2009. Web. 2 Oct 2013.

Leung, Chee Chee. Gene finds offers clue to why breast is best for brains. 6 Nov 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Oct 2013.

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Melhado, L. Antiretroviral Therapy Given to Mother or Child Reduces Risks of HIV Transmission from Breast-feeding. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 38.3 (2012): 167+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.

Miles, Kathleen. "Baby Formula May Increase Risk of Adult Obesity, Diseases, Study Says." Huffington Post Los Angeles. 08 12 2013: n. page. Web. 30 Sep. 2013.

Mohammad, Mahmoud A. Haymond, Morey A. The Magic of Mothers Milk. Diabetes. Dec 2012: 3076+. Academic OneFile. Web. 24 Sept. 2013

Nader, Carol. Breastfeeding report advocates milk banks for needy infants. 10 Aug 2007:5. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2013

Shapiro, Eliza. "Breastfeeding Shows Steady Growth vs. Formula, According to CDC." The Daily Beast. 09 02 2013. Web. 30 Sep 2013.

Solomon, Stephen. "The Controversy over Infant Formula." New York Times. 06 Dec 1981. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.

"What's in Breast Milk?" American Pregnancy Association: Promoting Reproductive and Pregnancy Wellness. 01 01 2013: n. page. Web. 30 Sep. 2013.

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