Breastfeeding Tips Portland ME

Health Matters—Second Best to Breast

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By Anna Soref

Most nutrition-savvy mothers know that breast milk is best and look forward to nursing their babies. But mothers who can’t breastfeed have to rely on the next best thing: formula. Fortunately, these parents can now buy USDA-certified organic formula, a healthier choice than conventional, according to experts. “Conventional milk–based baby formula contains bovine growth hormone, antibiotics, and often estrogen, which is used to keep the cows pregnant to increase milk production,” says midwife Cathy Carlson-Rink, ND. Also, because the cows at conventional dairies often eat low-quality feed, they produce low-quality milk, which, says Carlson-Rink, many conventional formula companies then fortify with inexpensive vitamins and minerals that infants can’t absorb as readily.

But recently manufacturers have responded to increasing demands for “clean” infant formula by debuting organic options. The milk for these formulas comes from organic dairies, so the formula has little pesticide residue and no antibiotics, estrogen, or growth

hormones. Additionally, the organic formulas are fortified with organic essential fatty acids, critical for brain and visual development. Because the FDA strictly regulates levels of vitamins and minerals in baby formulas, consumers can be confident that organic formulas have the same nutrient levels as conventional.

More good news for parents of bottle-fed babies: A company called Born Free produces plastic bottles and cups that don’t leach chemicals into the containers’ contents. The plastic they use is free of BPA (bisphenol-A), a hormone-disrupting chemical found in other baby bottles. For more information: www.newborn free.com.

Author: Anna Soref

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