It’s a total myth that human breast milk is the same as formula milk. There are LOADS of health benefits for a baby who receives breastmilk and for a mother who breastfeeds.
Below is a chart detailing the key constituents of breast milk compared to artificial milk; adapted from UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Training.
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Formula/Artificial Milk Contents
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Breast/Human Milk Contents
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IL-1
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Enzymes
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Oligosaccharides
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Lactoferrin
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Lymphocytes
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Cytokines
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Milk lipids
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Immunoglobulins
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Leucocytes
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Stem cells
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Growth factors
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Water
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Water
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Vitamins & Minerals (Synthetic)
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Vitamins & Minerals (Synthetic)
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Protein
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Protein
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Fats
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Fats
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The reason that the ‘bonus’ things in breastmilk cannot be added into formula is because they are live constituents and cannot be replicated in a lab.
For example- the immunoglobulins are how your body would identify any illnesses/ bacteria within your environment; your breastmilk would produce antibodies to these microbes and pass that to your baby. This also includes immunity to things you have had past contact with – such as COVID-19.
Health benefits for your baby if they receive breastmilk
- Sets up your baby’s microbiome for life. This means it can essentially turn on or turn off health receptors which may or may not predispose your child to that illness later in life
- Less likely to develop allergies, gastroenteritis, otitis media, urinary tract infections, obesity, diabetes, necrotising enterocolitis, childhood leukaemia, heart disease, dental caries
- Reduces the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Health benefits for you if you breastfeed
- Reduced chance of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer
- Reduced incidence of postnatal depression
- Able to lose excess weight quicker post baby
While you can see all the amazing health benefits for yourself and your baby if you choose to breastfeed, there are also some other amazing benefits including:
- It’s free to breastfeed your baby. It is estimated that formula milk alone will cost between £1000-£1500 in the first year of life. This is without including equipment such as bottles/ steriliser etc.
- Convenience – you do not need to prepare, sterilise, or have anything ‘in stock’ ready. You just need yourself and you are ready to go. Perfect for in the middle of the night when you have a hungry baby.
- Safety - we are extremely lucky in the UK to have access to clean drinking water, however there can be things that effect the safety of formula milk. For example; private water supplies/ travelling abroad with your baby/ formula being made up incorrectly/ not sterilising correctly etc. The factors can all pose significant risks to formula feeding. We also need to be aware that formula milk is a processed food, manufactured in a factory- therefore there can be risk of contamination at every production level.
- Environmental Impact - The formula industry causes a lot of issues within the environment- from the production in factories, packaging, distribution, use of fuel and waste products from the powder/ old bottles, and excesses of water needed to create the milk powder itself. There is also the increase energy usage from boiling kettles and sterilising equipment that you would not need with breastfeeding (this also affects your outgoings).
- NHS - as a result of the health benefits listed above, babies who are breastfed are 15% less likely to need a GP visit in the first 6 months of life and are 5 times less likely to be hospitalised with a gastro related illness in the first 6 months of life. There is also some research to suggest that if we could increase breastfeeding rates by even a very small percentage, we could save the NHS around £40 million a year from associated health benefits (UNICEF UK, 2012). We also have a very strong link between formula feeding and obesity- and at present obesity is one of the leading causes for other health issues developing and therefore an excessive cost to the NHS.