Why is breast milk the best for babies?

Usually a manufacturer won't announce that the competition's product is a better choice. But when the competition is breast milk, infant formula manufacturers concede--right on the label--that breast milk is best.

Human breast milk is the ideal nourishment for human babies. Its protein content particularly suited for a baby's metabolism, and the fat content is more easily absorbed and digested than the fats in cow's milk.

Breast milk also protects the infants against certain diseases, infections and allergies. A mother's milk contain cells from her immune system and antibodies against diseases to which she has been exposed. Antibodies she develops after the baby is born are also passed to the baby through the breast milk.

For example, if Mom catches the flu, she develops antibodies to that strain of flu virus. Richard Schanler, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, explains, "The baby will get some protection. The baby might not get the flu at all, or the case may be milder...than if he or she wasn't breast-fed to begin with."

However, risks of breast milk may outweigh advantages if a nursing mother takes certain medications or abuses drugs. The quality and quantity of the mother's diet may affect the quality and quantity of breast milk. (see "Good Nutrition for Breast-Feeding Mothers" in the December 1986-January 1987 FDA Consumer.)