Do you REALLY want what's best for your baby???

After coming across the blog/facebook page The Fearless Formula Feeder some months ago, I think for the sake of my sanity I wholly ignored the blog/page.  But today I decided to take a look.  All I can say is WOW.  On the front, the woman appears to support whatever feeding method an individual chooses, be it breast or formula.  But when I dug a little deeper, it seems that this woman has some seeeerious issues.  She has links to some very shaky articles on why breast isn't really best and seems to truly think that formula is an acceptable alternative.  Safe, healthy even.  So this is for The Fearless Formula Feeder and her readers because to be honest, I am sick to death of hearing how these people 'want the best for their babies'.  Really???  Read on...

Infant formula contains the following contaminants:-
Aluminium - Linked to mental retardation in infants, learning disorders, hyperactivity and colic.
Cadmium - Linked to bone disease, respiratory infections, kidney dysfunction and is a carcinogen (carcinogens promote cancer growth)
MSG - Linked to obesity and diabetes
Phytoestrogens - Linked to early onset of puberty in girls and decreased testosterone production in boys (soy formula is the very worst culprit in this regard but some degree of phytoestrogens can be found in ALL infant formulas)
Phosphates - Linked to cardiovascular disease, speeding up of aging process and renal disease.
Pthalates - Linked to asthma, allergies, liver and testes damage and cardiovascular disease.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) - Linked to obesity, neurological issues, cancer and sexual organ complications.

Not to mention a host of bacteria that cause a host of gastrointestinal problems as well as viral meningitis etc.

DHA and ARA (which are found in breastmilk in a digestible, natural form that help with gut flora) which infant formula companies so proudly display on their products, are derived from plants.  The DHA in infant formula is derived from fermented microalgae (!) called Cryptecodiunium cohnii and ARA is derived from soil fungi (!!) called Mortierelle alpina.  These two organisms are quite new to the food chain so the long term effects of their use are not yet known.  What is known is that they are a very very poor representation of the DHA and ARA found in human breastmilk.  Now, wait for the BIGGIE...  The oils for DHA and ARA are extracted with a solvent called hexane which is a petroleum-refining by-product and a known neurotoxin and air pollutant.  So basically, infant formula = petrol *yum*  Also, the safety of these two plant derived forms of DHA and ARA have not been adequately tested for safety.  In many cases, they were only tested on rats.  I *think* it's safe to say that we are quite different from mere rats...

Infant formula (as you can see) carries some very worrying contaminants (lets not forget the pesticides from the grass the cows eat, the fumes from the tractors they breathe in and the anti-biotics and hormones the cows are injected with to produce more milk) and only now are their effects starting to be realised.  I think it is safe to say that infant formula is the greatest experiment carried out on human beings.  

The consumption of infant formula is linked to the following diseases and/or health complications:-

Diarrhoea; Meningitis; Ear infections; Blood infections; Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death); Diabetes; Childhood cancers; Obesity; High blood cholesterol; Asthma; Reduced effectiveness of vaccinations; Reduced effectiveness of organ transplants; Candidiasis; Enteroviruses; Gastroenteritis; Giardia; Haemophilus Influenza; Necrotizing Enterocolitis; Pneumococcal Disease; Respiratory Infections (general); Respiratory Infections (protective effect against exposure to tobacco smoke); Respiratory Syncytial Virus; Salmonellosis; Sepsis in Preterm Infants; Urinary Tract Infections; Anemia and Iron Deficiency; Autoimmune Thyroid Disease; Constipation and Anal Fissures; Cryptorchidism (undescended testicle); Gastroesophageal Reflex; Inguinal Hernia; Lactose Malabsorption; Morbidity and Mortality; Plagiocephaly; Pyloric Stenosis; Wheezing and Asthma; More pain during medical procedures; Impaired jaw and teeth development; Allergies; Eczema; Reduced Development and Intelligence; Bedwetting; Reduced Brainstem, Cognitive, and Motor Development; Reduced IQ; Reduced Gastrointestinal and Immune Development; Hormone imbalance; Reduced Neurological, Psychomotor and Social Development; Disturbed Sleep Cycles and Arousal; Reduced Speech and Language Development; Reduced Thymus Development; Autism; Appendicitis; Poor Bone mass; Cardiovascular Disease (Atherosclerosis, Cholesterol Concentration); Celiac Disease; Helicobacter pylori infection; Haemophilus Influenzae; Meningitis; Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis); Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA); Poor Mental Health; Menopause (timing of); Multiple Sclerosis; Reduced Oral and Dental Health; Reduced Protection against toxins (environmental contaminants, chemicals, heavy metals); Schizophrenia; Reduced Stress Resilience and Tonsillitis.

Again, *yum*. 

So Fearless Formula Feeder, you and your readers laugh in the face of danger eh?  Please, for the love of whatever/whoever you believe in, stop telling us all that you 'want what's best' for your babies because, clearly, you don't...