Healthy families

Just like their breastfeeding sisters, moms who formula feed their babies want a happy and healthy experience. Today, though, formula feeding is complicated. With so many formula products out there, where do you begin? Conventional or organic? Milk-based or soy? Powder or liquid--concentrate or ready-to-feed? And what is this DHA stuff?

Because formula will be the primary food your baby receives for many months, this decision is important. Your baby's wellbeing now and in the future will be impacted by your choice. Be thoughtful; choose wisely.

Today, both organic and conventional infant formulas are available at most supermarkets, so availability is not typically an issue. Still, don't just grab the first thing you see. Rather, be informed about the food that will nourish your child. Read labels, learn the meaning of unfamiliar terms, consider all the information, and weigh the pros and cons.

Important issues to consider

Conventional vs. Organic. Conventional infant formula typically costs less, but is less desirable than organic. Conventional formula can be genetically engineered, produced with antibiotics, pesticides, hormones, synthetic fertilizers, and irradiated. For example, nearly all conventional soy infant formulas are produced from Monsanto's Roundup Ready genetically engineered soybeans. Virtually no long-term human studies have been conducted on the effect genetically engineered foods and additives have on humans--particularly babies. For infant formula to receive organic certification, it cannot be produced using any of the above methods. Infant formula that does not bear an organic certification stamp may be presumed conventional.

Some parents, hoping to stave off a milk allergy, opt for dairy-based, lactose-free infant formulas or soy-based infant formulas. Before you opt for soy, consider the following.

Soy has issues. Soy (whether conventionally or organically-grown) has estrogen-like compounds called phytoestrogens that mimic natural estrogen. Nutritionist Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., president of the Maryland Nutritionists Association, said, "The amount of phytoestrogens that are in a day's worth of soy infant formula equals five birth control pills." Nutritionists and doctors believe this high concentration of phytoestrogens is associated with early puberty in girls and delayed physical maturation in boys.

High concentrations of neurotoxins are commonly found in soy infant formula as well, which can predispose a baby to neurological disorders. For more information about soy, visit Soy Online at www.soyonlineservice.co.nz.

More issues for conventional soy. Residues of dieldrin are still found on non-organic soybeans grown in the United States. Although completely banned in the mid-1980's, dieldrin--a pesticide 50 times as poisonous as DDT--persists in the soil. Dieldrin is a neurotoxin that stores in body fat. And, yes, soybeans with dieldrin residue are used in manufacturing soy infant formula.

Omega-3 (DHA) and omega-6 (ARA) are essential fatty acids important to brain, eye and heart health. But the DHA (sometimes labeled lipids) in all infant formulas marketed in the US today is not natural. It's Martek, and it's scary. (e.g. Toddler formulas are different from infant formulas. Baby's Only organic brand, a toddler formula, has never used Martek's DHA product.)

Martek's DHA. Martek Biosciences Corporation created a product using the toxic petrochemical solvent, hexane. Martek's DHA is structurally different from natural DHA and ARA. Amazingly, this product has not been affirmed for safety by the FDA, and has not been approved for use in organic foods by the USDA National Organic Program. Further, formulas with DHA are known in hospital neonatal units as "the diarrhea formula" because infants suffer from explosive diarrhea and vomiting caused by the formula, leading to dehydration and hospitalization.

According to an investigative report authored by Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm & Food Policy Analyst for the Cornucopia Institute, numerous scientific "studies... show little or no benefit to an infant's development from adding [Martek's] DHASCO and ARASCO to infant formula." Why is it in there then, you may ask?

It's a marketing device. The CI report included this quote from a 1996 Martek Biosciences investment promotion:

"Even if [the DHA/ARA blend] has no benefit, we think it would be widely incorporated into formulas, as a marketing tool and to allow companies to promote their formula as 'closest to human milk.'"

View the complete Cornucopia Institute report at cornucopia.org/index.php/replacing-mother-infant-formula-report.

An option to commercially prepared infant formulas is preparing your own. Moms used to do this all the time! Breast is still best, but countless healthy children have grown up nourished by homemade infant formula. Follow this link for infant formula recipes from nutritionist Dr. Enig (quoted earlier): www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html.

By now you've probably heard of bisphenol-A (BPA), the plastic-softening agent found in some baby products and linings of canned foods--like canned infant formula. All major infant formula manufacturers use BPA in their product containers. You can view the results of the Environmental Working Group's investigation, and EWG's recommendations: www.ewg.org/reports/infantformula.

A few last reminders:

• Use the proper formula-to-water mix ratio and never use fluoridated water--use only distilled or reverse osmosis. Too much fluoride leads to fluorosis.
• Avoid plastic bottles; use glass ones and silicone nipples (rather than latex).
• Never heat baby bottles in the microwave.

Remember knowledge empowers, so be thorough in your evaluation, and err on the side of caution. Truly, I wish you many pleasant days with your healthy baby.

(c)2008 Deb Kincaid

Deb Kincaid is a freelance writer who frequently addresses environmental topics. She lives with her family in Vancouver, Washington.