Saudi Gazette Infant formula, can by no means match the nutritional value of mothers milk and no health professional with the infant's best interest in mind would recommend the use of infant formula as a replacement for mother's milk. Most infant formula is produced using cow's milk, which contains a protein and other substances that can be challenging for the tiny digestive system of the babies. Some infants are allergic to the protein in cow's milk; which affects up to 3 percent of infants, according to the website of Nemours Foundation for Kids Health. Even those babies who are not allergic may still have gastrointestinal distress and irritability, which causes colic, gas, and constipation. In contrast, breast milk encourages the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria essential for a healthy digestive system and for preventing yeast infections. Formula-fed babies have a 15 to 20 times higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome in the first four months than breast fed babies, reported Dr. Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Jaser, an official of the Ministry of Health. He further stated that a staggering 77% of babies born each year in the Kingdom are given formula even in the first month and the Ministry is exerting its efforts to curtail this practice. Dr. Shoaib Al-Yafi, a neonatal physician at Al-Hammadi Hospital in Riyadh, stresses the superiority of mother's breast milk over infant formula. He said, “Breast milk contains protective antibodies that strengthen the infant's immunity and help resist infection especially in the first weeks of life. Only breast milk supplies hormones and the enzymes that aid the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the milk.” Dr. Al-Yafi frowns upon the intense marketing strategies of some infant formula companies. Research has proved that on an average, breast fed babies have fewer illnesses and ear infections and are less prone to obesity in the first year of life than bottle fed babies. Another consideration is that breast feeding can save some money spent on buying formula, especially for low-income families. Kelly Bonyata, who is an international spokesperson and advocate of breast feeding and an International Board certified Lactation Consultant, has been helping mothers breastfeed since 1997. She calculated that cost of infant formula for one year of the child's life ranges from SR2,678 up to SR11,000. An individual was caught and reprimanded in a hospital in Madinah for promoting infant formula as being nutritionally equal to mother's milk and encouraging mothers of newborns to bottle feed. He was taped on the hospital's camera, carrying with him bags containing complementary samples of infant formula to give out to mothers at the hospital. This was a sly and unauthorized trick to market his product and the hospital authorities confiscated his supplies and will press charges. __
