The Debate: Breast Milk vs. Formula
By Chris Brown
The debate starts the moment a newborn breathes their first breathe, if not sooner. Formula or breast milk? While many with strong opinions tend to lean toward breast milk, there is the argument for formula in some cases. Ultimately, it is up to the individual parents to decide what's best for their family and which side of the formula-milk argument they fall.
The Argument for Formula
Although demonized (unfairly) in some parenting circles, formula can be a great option depending upon a particular family's situation. The most important thing, according to WebMD.com, is that a child is well-fed, formula or not. There are plenty of other needs, such as having a loving and supportive home, that are more important for the healthy development of a child than the liquid they consume.
Some benefits of using formula are:
- Convenience and less hassle when busy
- Partner is able to share equally in the experience of feeding
- As opposed to breastfeeding mothers, formula mothers can eat or drink anything
- May be preferable for underweight newborns, according to a 2018 study
- Can provide nutrients if the baby isn't latching or the mother isn't producing milk
The Argument for Breast Milk
Breast milk is universally agreed as the most nutritious option for babies in most cases. Unless the mother's milk is compromised, breast milk provides perfectly formulated nutrition for a newborn child. In anything with the body, following the evolutionarily natural state is usually the healthiest. And, from all accounts and studies, that seems to be the case with breast milk as well.
- More easily digestible for babies than formula
- Is the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and calcium and has all required nutrients
- It may help your child intellectually and reduce risks of obesity, diabetes, asthma, and leukemia later in life, studies show
- Provides antibodies which may boost immune systems and help prevent ear infections
- Reduces the mother's risk of breast cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease
If the decision to feed your child formula was forced upon you due to a lack of milk production, a chiropractic adjustment may be able to help. Doctors at The Joint Chiropractic can evaluate and relieve subluxations which may be leading to reduced lactation. Sessions are affordable without insurance and walk-ins are welcomed. So don't go another day feeling the decision of your child's early nutrition is out of your control.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lake Worth, Tex.