During The Infant Formula Shortage, This Historian Corrected Misconceptions That Claimed No Babies Starved Before Infant Formula Was Invented Because Everyone Breastfed Their Babies
As if the pregnancy was not difficult enough, parents now have to prepare for a plethora of issues their newborns could face. Parents these days have to deal with an unimaginable amount of potential problems unique in our times.
We're barely through a devastating pandemic and there's already another virus we have to keep an eye on. Oh, have you heard of microplastics?
Don't worry, you don't have to hear about them to breathe them in. It turns out they are everywhere and scientists don't know yet how badly they affect humans.
Also, social media is being used as a tool to destabilize governments all over the world. Lawmakers don't even know where to begin to regulate questionable tech practices.
In case that's not enough, a powerful group of people is trying to take us back to good old times when racism was the norm and women don't have rights. Fun times ahead people.
The rate of "inflation" (it's price gouging premium, billionaires have a subscription to it) across the globe is astronomical. But the problem that really caused a panic for all parents is the milk formula shortage.
Early this year, the formula shortage was the highlight. While parents were busy hopping from one store to the next looking for infant formula, some people thought it was the perfect time to say there was no need to panic.
Parents could simply go au naturel and breastfeed their babies. They didn't take into consideration that some moms couldn't lactate, some babies need an extra dose of nutrition only formulas can provide, and many other factors.
Thankfully, Dr. Carla Cevasco, historian of infant feeding, was ready to correct long-held misconceptions that the formula shortage was no problem since moms can just opt to breastfeed their young. Here's what she had to say:
Why do people lie about verifiable facts? Dr. Cevasco will enumerate just how wrong these claims are.
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It's historically proven that parents needed to feed their babies something other than milk because:
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(a) Some birth parents are unable to breastfeed because they either died in childbirth, they have physical conditions, they had to return to work
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Or they were not given the option to breastfeed by their abuser/enslaver to get them fertile as soon as possible
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(b) Some babies are incapable of breastfeeding because they cannot latch, they are premature, or they have other health conditions
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(c) Some babies are not raised by their birth parents
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So how did babies survive back then if breastfeeding wasn't an option and infant formula hasn't been invented yet?
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Someone else would either volunteer, was forced, or was paid to breastfeed the child
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This wasn't an ideal solution but it's what they had
What happened if there was literally no breastmilk to be had?
The Wabanaki women fed their babies a mixture of boiled walnuts, cornmeal, and water
In Europe, babies ate mixtures of animal milk or water
These alternative solutions were not always safe and didn't offer enough nutrition for the growing infant
Before formula milk was invented, A LOT of babies died of starvation and illness
They didn't have safe or nutritious food
In the US, would more parents choose to breasfeed if safe systems are in place?
The short answer is, yes. More parents would breastfeed if they had paid parental leave, access to lactation consultants, pumping rooms, and the right to breastfeed in public
This is in no way advertising the infant formula companies who are causing the shortage
However, infant formula by itself is not a bad thing. Thanks to this invention, babies don't have to starve to death anymore.
The babies whose right to live is under threat because of the shortage (AKA artificial shortage to raise prices)
It's amazing that parents have an option to either breastfeed or bottle-feed their babies
Because there will always be babies who will need formulated milk for one reason or another
The only thing that should concern us is babies not going hungry
People soon shared their own stories why specially formulated milk was necessary
This mom who had access to lactation consultants and tools to aid lactation, couldn't produce enough milk. If she didn't have access to formula, her babies would have starved.
Other parents actually cannot produce milk no matter how hard they try
Some moms choose formula milk simply because it's what they thought was best for them and their babies
Oddly enough, people these days will give you the stink eye if you bottle-feed your baby in public
People have to be more realistic about the past. It wasn't that great and without the advancements of science, a lot of baby starved to death.
It used to be a norm that not all babies will survive infancy. The situation was that bad and we shouldn't glorify it.
An expecting mom had less to worry about because of the informative thread. Like others, she doesn't have the right to a year-long maternity leave to breastfeed her baby.
Dr. Cevasco debunked those claims really fast and helped clear the confusion for a lot of people
Jumping in during a crisis like this one only to offer unwanted and unverified advice is not as helpful as people think. Your hot takes are interesting to read but they are not keeping any babies from starving.
The reality is that this crisis hit home for a lot of parents who depend on infant formula to feed their babies. Good for you if you can breastfeed your baby or you have access to donated breastmilk but do not diminish what others are going through simply because you are not in the same boat.
