Throughout history there has been a need for alternative feeding methods for infants. Whether because of an issue with the mother’s milk supply or because of death of the mother, there have always been children that required the use of something other than their own mother’s milk. In more recent history, alternative feeding has also been used as a convenience. Prior to the development of infant formula in 1865, animal milk and wet nurses were used to accomplish the feeding of orphaned infants or others whose mothers could not, or chose not to, breast feed. Between 1950 and 1970 the breast feeding rate fell dramatically. Some studies suggest that more that 75 percent of American infants born during that time were formula fed. As the rates of diabetes, obesity and other health issues continue to increase researchers are looking at how individuals are feeding their infants and what effects the large amounts of high calorie “breast-milk substitute” may be having. Infant formula is being considered as one of the contributors to the growing health crisis in America. American mothers may be inadvertently predisposing their children to a lifetime of health issues by choosing not to breast feed.
Throughout recorded history there were many feeding devices created for the feeding of animal milk, most commonly cow’s milk, to infants. These feeding vessels or devices have been found in all shapes and sizes dating back thousands of years B.C. Prior to 1865 wet nurses were the most common source of alternative nutrition for infants but by 1900 the profession was all but extinct due to the practice “falling out of favor” socially and the introduction of feeding bottles. Early in the 19th century, the use of unclean feeding devices, along with t...
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Parry, K., Taylor, E., Hall-Dardess, P., Walker, M. and Labbok, M. (2013), Understanding Women's Interpretations of Infant Formula Advertising. Birth, 40: 115–124. doi: 10.1111/birt.12044http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/2/409S.full
Sclauser Pessoa, I. B., Costa, D., Velloso, M., Mancuzo, E., Reis, M. S., & Parreira, V.F.
Feeding a baby is an indispensable duty of a parent. Part of that duty includes making
Forsyth, K., Taylor, R., Kramer, J., Prior, S., Richie, L., Whitehead, J., Owen, C., & Melton, M.
Cox-Foster, D. L., Conlan, S., Holmes, E. C., Palacios, G., Evans, J. D., Moran, N. A.,…
Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, Robert Funk, and Linda S. Coleman.
By remaining exclusive to human milk, the premature infant has an increase in benefits and outcomes. This change in recommendation is due to the benefits of human milk which include “decreased rates of late-onset of sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy, sudden infant death syndrome, fewer re-hospitalizations in the first year of life, and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.” (Underwood, M. A.). Due to an underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract, it is shown that preterm infants require smaller amounts of human milk than a full-term baby. It is crucial to teach mothers of preterm infants, that the colostrum or milk they produce is sufficient. If the mother does not produce enough milk, she should be directed to a donor human milk bank or talk to a lactation consultant. Nevertheless, it is crucial nurses emphasize the importance of reducing formula feeding and implement exclusive
Anderson, Daniel R., Aletha C. Huston, Deborah L. Linebarger, Kelly L. Schmitt, and John C.
Breast milk is produced uniquely by a mother for her infant’s consumption. This means that it is manufactured wi...
Breastfeeding rates are continually increasing. The nutritional benefit of breast over formula is a long established fact. “According to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding rates improved nationwide in 2000-2008, and some of the greatest improvement was among black women. However, only about 59 percent of black mothers breastfed in 2008, compared to 80 percent of Hispanic mothers and about 75 percent of white mothers. For 2008 rates of breastfeeding at a baby’s first birthday, the number was about 23 percent overall but only 12.5 percent for black mothers. That low rate still marks a near doubling of rates among black mothers compared to the year 2000” (Currie, 2013).It is the recommended method of feeding an infant for at least the first six months of life. Breastfeeding has benefits to both mothers and their babies. The baby receives immunity to protect it from disease. Financially, breastfeeding can significantly reduce the burden of having a new child. Many mothers initiate breastfeeding in the hospital; however, the number of women who breastfeed until six months is very low (Guyer, Millward, & Berger, 2012). Breastfeeding is highly favored over bottle feeding. Yet, mothers still do not choose to continually breastfeed their infants. Do mothers who breastfeed during hospitalization have limitations or no desire to continue versus mothers who breastfeed for the recommended six months or longer at home?
Stuart, G. L., Moore, T. M., Elkins, S. R., O’Farrell, T. J., Temple, J. R., Ramsey, S. E.,
Ornstein, R., Rosen, D., Mammel, K., Callahan, S., Forman, S., Jay, M., Fisher, M., Rome, E., &
Wagner, C. L., Anderson, D. M., & Pittard III, W. B. (June 1996). Special properties of human milk. Clinical Pediatrics , p 283.
Gerald Mahoney, Ann Kaiser, Luigi Girolametto, James MacDonald, Cordelia Robinson, Philip Safford, and Donna Spiker
There are poor attitudes and misconceptions towards infant and young child feeding (IYCF) regulations. For instance, Syrian mothers have been more likely to use infant formula over breast milk in Syria, and this problem has worsened with the unregulated distribution of baby formula in the earlier days of the crisis. Few mothers or caretakers understood the benefits or importance of exclusive breastfeeding for infants for the first six months. Refugees often reported they exclusively breastfed, but were found to give other fluids to their infants (Sebuliba, 2015). Another common misconception was that bottle feeding was preferable, and that stress on a woman’s body prevents her from breastfeeding. Older generations with poor education on the benefits of breastfeeding often counsel younger women to give breastmilk substitute, and younger women almost exclusively follow this advice. Misconceptions amongst caregivers and mothers during the discussions included poor advice, telling women to “give water and herbs,” or that “breastmilk alone is insufficient for infants,” and “traditional approaches are preferred.” Fänder’s study found that mothers have been breastfeeding without iron supplementation after their child has reached 6 months of age. They have also used non-iron fortified cow's milk as weaning food, frequently fed their babies tea, and rarely fed them meat due to its high cost. During the winter, it is difficult to transport food and grow produce, so mothers have to resort to feeding their children watered down foods. (Luce, 2015). Given the cultural norms in Syria, girls become mothers at a very young age and were pressured to wean female infants off of breastmilk to increase the chance of becoming pregnant, hoping that the next child
Breastfeeding is proven as the ideal method for feeding babies. Nationwide, 76% of new moms choose to breastfeed and forgo formula feeding, but by three months post-partum that percentage has dropped drastically (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity 4). While breastfeeding is proven to reduce the risk of diarrhea, pneumonia, obesity, type-II diabetes, and improve results on intelligence tests (World Health Organization) many new moms abandon their goals of feeding babies for the recommended 2 years (World Health Organization) because of the discrimination received while nursing in public. Being viewed as a life choice, not a health choice, the general public ostracizes and alienates these women, arguing that modesty is more important than a baby’s right to eat.