Infant formula is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding in form of powder (mixed with water) or liquid (with or without additional water) (wikipedia.com). Most of infant milk formula is made from cow’s milk which is enriched by some important nutrition compounds to baby’s growth. However still many mothers are lack of information about the proper giving of this milk to the babies. This paper will explain why infant formula is not suitable and tends to give harmful impacts for the baby-under-12-months.
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Infant formula becomes one of the alternatives of milk chosen by mothers to fulfill baby’s need of nutrition. In practical reason, a working mother chooses it to help her in balancing between working and feeding her baby. Looking for the best infant formula is being one of the priorities of parents in order to keep nourishing their baby. This formula promises the substantial nutrition for babies that can assist their growth and development in their early life. In the other hands, the babies consuming infant milk formula will grow as the “chubby baby”. The more chubby a baby, the more his mother is proud of him and the more satisfied she feels.The satisfaction comes upon them as the understanding of healthy baby is still measured by size of the baby. This assumption still remains until now.
The fact is the formula has the higher protein and other mineral contents than breast milks. Thus infant formula milk is rich of nutrient compound. Even so the milk will just be absorbed 15-20% in baby’s digestion. Different from breast milk that will be absorbed 100% in baby’s digestion.Therefore baby’s digestion system in their early life is not ready yet to effectively absorb any food except human milk.In addition infant formula milk contains high sweet that will make a baby consuming the formula have tendency of growing in obese.
Long-term effect will come to the baby who consumes infant milk formula. One of the effects is the rapid increasing of weight that will influence baby’s health in the future. According to Barker Theory, a baby who has a rapid increase weight in their childhood has higher risk of non-communicable disease in their adulthood such as coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Another effect is the immunity of the baby will be low if it compared with breastfeeding babies. Breast milk is a ‘live’ food that contains living cells, hormones, active enzymes, antibodies and at least 400 other unique components.
In conclusion, Infant milk formula is not suitable with baby’s digestion. Breast milk is the best solution for baby’s feeding and benefits baby health in the future because early nutrition and adult outcome are the pieces of the puzzle.
Written By: Fatwa Awaru | A Post-Graduate Student of Public Health
Picture : www.bbc.co.uk
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