Chicago Tribune | Breast vs. bottle takes new turn
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"Breast vs. bottle takes new turn
By comparing new formula additives to mother's milk, companies mislead women, critics say
By Julie Deardorff
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 4, 2003

When a new infant formula appeared on store shelves in the U.S. last year, some scientists and pediatricians said it could narrow the nutrient gap between formula and breast milk.

Since then, however, breastfeeding activists have grown increasingly incensed over the new products, saying manufacturers mislead mothers and undermine efforts to promote breast-feeding, which is the consensus gold standard in infant nutrition.

The new ingredients in the formula had been sought for years, ever since scientists discovered that certain fatty acids found in breast milk and food are key building blocks for a baby's brain and eyes.

But for those who work to support breast-feeding, the existence of a formula that compares itself with breast milk in its advertising means breast-feeding is again under attack. They are especially angry that wording on the cans claims that the formulas, Enfamil Lipil and Similac Advance, contain nutrients found in breast milk."