Breastmilk vs Formula: No Contest
An article entitled "Suck on This" appeared in The Ecologist, April 2006. Written by Pat Thomas, the article takes an in-depth look at the composition of breastmilk and how it compares to artificial infant formula. Conclusion? There is "No Contest".
For starters, breastmilk is living. It is more complex than human blood, which still can not duplicated in a laboratory. It changes from beginning of feeding to the end, from feeding to feeding, from day to day, week to week and month to month. Every time the baby feeds she receives active immunity to keep her healthy.
Breastmilk is the infant's first immunity and essential to building a healthy immune system. A child's immune system is not mature until 5 or 6 years of age. As an infant and toddler the child is dependent on breastmilk for protection against infection. How does the immune system work?
Infants, children and adults that never receive human milk are at risk for numerous infections and diseases. The lasting effects of being fed only artificial infant milk may not be seen for decades.
The author states that "Compared to this miraculous substance, the artificial milk sold as infant formula is little more than junk food." It is dead, stagnant and does not change as the child grows.