As somebody who's big on environmental impurities and contamination, I can say that I'd rather many people's kids have formula than the medications, chemical additives, pollutants, synthesized hormones, funkily constituted transfats and fake sugars, parabens, propyls, petroleums, and cigarette smoke they're currently transmitting via their breastmilk. Lots of people eat loads of bad stuff, spray themselves with stuff, wash themselves with stuff, dose themselves with stuff, wear patches with stuff in them, and then their breasts try to make milk out of fluids that contain toxins. In the case of someone like my best friend (nice girl, extremely toxic lifestyle) I didn't argue a bit when she wanted to give up breastfeeding for some nice clean formula.
I think in general the IQ and health impact of breastfeeding is exaggerated. The fact is, there are other common factors among people who choose to attempt breastfeeding in areas where other methods are widely available and practical. They tend to be educated about child care--either formally, via research or medical professionals, or via family and friends. They tend to want to expend effort on their kids, and to have patience with a sometimes-painful process. They tend to put time with their children ahead of other factors in their lives when they feel it's important. If your family has all of those factors, you're likely to stimulate, educate, and care for your child better regardless of what he's drinking for the first six months. (I mean, I'm not sure if they've done trials to remove those factors from consideration and prove that just the formula of breastmilk increases IQ, but the fact that you can have something called 'non-organic retardation' suggests that how kids are raised can affect their IQs adversely or positively. It's not like IQ is a blood type.)
...which is a longwinded way of saying I agree with you. Sorry, it's early. :)
I think in general the IQ and health impact of breastfeeding is exaggerated. The fact is, there are other common factors among people who choose to attempt breastfeeding in areas where other methods are widely available and practical. They tend to be educated about child care--either formally, via research or medical professionals, or via family and friends. They tend to want to expend effort on their kids, and to have patience with a sometimes-painful process. They tend to put time with their children ahead of other factors in their lives when they feel it's important. If your family has all of those factors, you're likely to stimulate, educate, and care for your child better regardless of what he's drinking for the first six months. (I mean, I'm not sure if they've done trials to remove those factors from consideration and prove that just the formula of breastmilk increases IQ, but the fact that you can have something called 'non-organic retardation' suggests that how kids are raised can affect their IQs adversely or positively. It's not like IQ is a blood type.)
...which is a longwinded way of saying I agree with you. Sorry, it's early. :)
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