Why scientists are not able to 100% replicate breast milk to give to infants in case of a mother not being able to breast feed?

Question

Why scientists are not able to 100% replicate breast milk to give to infants in case of a mother not being able to breast feed?

In: 1

Answer 1

I mean we kind of are, that’s what formula is.

In reality it’s a whole question of “what is the need for formula?”

You run into issues of shelf stability, access to clean water (dry products last longer) and then you get into a whole world of why is the mother “unable to breastfeed?” Some children are lactose intolerant, or have protein allergies, the mother might lactate just fine but those children breast milk is a problem and needs to be adjusted.

I think the formula vs. breast milk is less strictly chemical, and more tied into things like social stigma, legitimate/perceived concerns with multinational companies, and the human bond between a Parent/Child.

EDIT – Gah, I focused on nutrition. There is a whole world of other things that are impossible to replicate chemically such as antibodies and disease exposure.

Answer 2

I mean we kind of are, that’s what formula is.

In reality it’s a whole question of “what is the need for formula?”

You run into issues of shelf stability, access to clean water (dry products last longer) and then you get into a whole world of why is the mother “unable to breastfeed?” Some children are lactose intolerant, or have protein allergies, the mother might lactate just fine but those children breast milk is a problem and needs to be adjusted.

I think the formula vs. breast milk is less strictly chemical, and more tied into things like social stigma, legitimate/perceived concerns with multinational companies, and the human bond between a Parent/Child.

EDIT – Gah, I focused on nutrition. There is a whole world of other things that are impossible to replicate chemically such as antibodies and disease exposure.