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The Truth about Infant Formula:
Breast Milk is the Gold Standard
Medical and scientific communities agree that breast milk is best for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes it as the gold standard in infant nutrition. Although companies tout their formula brands as offering the same benefits as breast milk, none do. Infant formula is a safe alternative, but more people need to know the truth behind this breast-milk substitute, especially when coping with guilt.
"Many women are unable to breastfeed for the duration of the first twelve months, especially if they are on medication, have multiple births, or must return to work during these difficult economic times,” said Dr. Barbara Levine, Weill Cornell Medical College. “These moms often experience feelings of guilt if they choose not breastfeed, so they purchase expensive formula. But very few really know the truth about infant formula."
All infant formulas marketed in the United States are subject to the same exacting standards of the FDA, pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980 and the subsequent LSRO report commissioned by FDA in 1998. This legislation vested FDA with the authority to ensure that all infant formula products sold in the United States meet minimum and maximum nutrient specifications.
"Buying a heavily marketed, expensive, brand-name infant formula from a big pharmaceutical company does not get your baby any closer to human breast milk than a store brand formula,” added Dr. Levine. “Mothers can choose to supplement their breast milk with any formula because all formulas are regulated by FDA and nutritionally equivalent."
Store brand formulas, which are labeled with the names of retail-store brands, are as nutritionally complete as name-brand formulas. Sold at retailers, grocery stores, and drugstores such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, and Babies R Us, store brands typically save parents up to 50 percent on formula.
On October 1, 2009, the WIC program implemented significant changes aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates among WIC families. One outcome of these changes could be a reduction in infant formula subsidies by an average of 20 percent.
The New WIC Food Packages
WIC, a federal agency that provides food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services to low-income women, infants, and children, has introduced a new food package that encourages breastfeeding. The new program, mandated for all states, reallocates funding for all currently provided foods, including infant formula, baby foods, juices, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
If you select the breastfeeding package, women will not receive any infant formula. Additionally, women who partially breastfeed or formula feed exclusively will receive 13 percent less formula than was afforded in previous years. This means parents who previously had most of their formula paid for by WIC may now have to purchase regular-formula on their own.
For more information on the new WIC Food Packages, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/.
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