What are the possible risks of using breast milk substitutes (infant formula)?
Breast milk substitutes, often called infant formula, do not contain all of the same elements as human breast milk, and therefore cannot support a baby’s overall health and development in exactly the same ways. Infant formula is considered to be a suitable breast milk substitute to support an infant’s growth when breast milk is unavailable. There are risks associated with feeding babies a breast milk substitute. These may include: • Reducing the mother’s supply of breast milk, especially when formula is given in the first 4-6 weeks after baby is born • Decreasing the mother’s confidence in her ability to exclusively breastfeed her baby and the duration of the breastfeeding relationship so that the benefits for both mother and baby are reduced • Increased cost: formula is expensive to purchase. According to 2008 local data for Simcoe County and District of Muskoka, the cost of feeding an infant iron fortified cow’s milk based formula for 6 months is on average $668.25 (powdered), $688.4
