DHA/ARA in Formula.....is it all that it claims to be?

Submitted by EastCoastMom on February 1, 2008 - 06:50.

I am blessed to be able to breastfeed my 3 month old son and hope to continue to my 6 month goal (I nursed my daughter for 7 months) but understand that there are many mothers who do not have that option and need to feed their child formula from day 1. I reached for a popular formula brand when my daughter was 7 months old and felt OK with my decision. Now, it seems that between the new choice of organic formula and formulas with added DHD/ARA, they are new questions. Is organic really necessary considering the added costs and are the formulas with added DHA/ARA really better and that much closer to breast milk and are they safe? I came across a very interesting article on The Cornucopia Institutes web site (http://cornucopia.org) unveiling findings that suggest the added DHA/ARA in these new formulas are not what they suggest in their advertising. In their report, "Replacing Mother—Imitating Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory", their research questions "the alleged benefits of adding “novel” omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, produced in laboratories and extracted from algae and fungus, into infant formulas". The report presents research indicating that "the new additives placed in infant formula are seriously endangering the health of some formula-fed newborns and toddlers. Aggressive marketing campaigns by some infant formula manufacturers appear to have encouraged new mothers to give up nursing and switch to use of the questionable infant formula products". The full report can be viewed on their web site. I also found informative information at www.organicconsumers.org. Both sites are worth checking out if you have questions about organic formula and formula with added DHA/ARA. I have to admit that after doing all of this reading....I feel like breast feeding my son until he is 40 (just kidding but you get my point). I am sure that the formula manufacturers web sites would make me feel that using formula is 100% safe on all accounts. I guess it just depends on who you listen too at this point.

( categories: Breastfeeding | Feeding | Newborn | Infants | Toddlers )
That's why I breastfeed
Submitted by kmanies on February 1, 2008 - 12:11.

Reports such as this are why I breastfeed. And why I will continue to breastfeed my 2nd child until she is one year old (baring unforeseen events). Because while I'm really, really glad that the option of formula is out there for those people for whom breastfeeding isn't an option, over the years we have learned too many things we thought were good for us are really bad or do some harm. And the formula companies haven't had the millions of years our bodies have had to perfect their product.

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