eli5: why isn’t formula milk just formulated to be better than breastmilk?
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Cause turns out science doesn’t know everything and there’s tons of enzymes and immunity (I.e antibodies) transferred through mothers milk that we don’t even make synthetically
It’s for the same reasons we don’t just formulate some blood so we don’t need blood donors any more. Mostly because we can’t exactly replicate the original, but also because formula milk has to be affordable. Every extra ingredient to bring it closer to the real thing adds costs. Breast is best, if you can manage it.
Breast milk has antibodies from the mother that her body has used to counteract things that have been, or are currently, in her environment. This means that the baby is encountering these same things and is gaining antibodies from the mother rather than having to fight the germs off on it’s own. It is not possible to replicate that in a manufactured product. Formula is not bad but breast milk will always be better.
I am not certain the breast milk is better for the baby, than the formula. Breast milk varies from mother to mother, diet to diet, and life habits to life habits.
What I feel creates the difference is the oxytocin released by the pituitary gland during the breast feeding process that causes the mother/baby bond.
Of course, oxytocin is a part of the delivery process, but it is also a part of the signally of the milk production process.
Oxytocin is your bodies love drug and both the baby and mother produce it during breast feeding, which causes the strong bond we see between mom and child.
Because we can’t replicate anything close to breastmilk with its ever-changing composition. But formula isn’t bad, and it has kept a lot of people alive. It doesn’t need to be 100% like breastmilk. It’s enough.
It would be cool, though. Take a lot of pressure off of mothers.
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