What Did People Feed Babies Before Formula?

produced formula is still a relatively new fangled invention. So what did people do before modern formula hit store shelves. Parents had to be prepared in the olden days because many childbearing people struggled with low milk production related to them undiagnosable medical conditions like hypothybroidism and polycystic overy syndrome, among other issues. Also, people used to die in child at that much higher rates than they do today, leaving

behind infants in need of nourishment. Well before bottles and formula came along, babies still had to be fed. Many parents turned to wet nurses to get the job done when they couldn't or in some cases wouldn't. Wet nurses are lack painting people who as early as two thousand BC have been employed or volunteered to breastfeed children who weren't their own. In some cases, wet nurses have been

enslaved people as well. A Wet nurses were commonly hired for affluent families from ancient times through the nineteenth century. The job still exists, though its status as a paying profession has largely died out. Today, there are even women who form cross nursing groups in which they take turns feeding each other's children in order to provide support and also bond with multiple children and families in the community. Parents who couldn't breastfeed and who lacked wet nurse access

often turned to animal milk to nourish their infants. This was the most common type of artificial feeding until the end of the eighteen hundreds, although many caregivers used cow's milk, Milk from goats, donkeys, camels, horses, pigs, and sheep were also used, depending on where the parents lived and what was available. Before the modern baby bottle was properly fine tuned, children in France and likely other areas would often suck

directly from an animal's teeth. Another common method in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries was to make a mix called pap or panada made of bread soaked in milk or cereal cooked in water. This was fed to the baby via a spoon, a rag, or a special device called a pap boat. But we didn't yet know about the importance of sterilizing the objects that babies were drinking out of,

nor how pasteurization worked, nor what nutrients babies need. In the early eighteen hundreds, one third of all babies fed with feeding devices died during their first year of life. Of course, other health issues were more deadly back then as well. Eventually, enterprising chemists decided to try to more closely mimic human breast milk, and in eighteen sixty five one Eustace Volan Liebig created what's believed to be the

world's first infant formula. It was made of wheat, cow's milk, malt, flour, and potassium by carbonate. In eighteen sixty seven, pharmacist assistant On rins Lely launched a product that was made with similar ingredients but was easier to prepare. By eighteen eighty three, there were at least twenty seven brands of infant food available. While these would keep a child from going hungry, they usually lacked some of the necessary vitamins for infant health.

Another milestone in infant formula occurred when we figured out how to preserve foods through canning, which gave rise to condensed milk and evaporated milk. In the eighteen hundreds, many pediatricians recommended evaporated milk to mothers for their babies in the nineteen thirties and forties. The first nonpowder formula hit the marketplace in nineteen one to great fanfare. For the article,

this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke by email with Dr Hilary Bashaw, a pediatric gastrointurologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and an assistant professor at the Emory University College of Medicine. She said that was a turning point in history when the developed world embraced artificial infant formula and it became the feeding method of choice for many,

regardless of ability to breastfeed. By the nineteen seventies, many were turning back to breastfeeding, and now we live in an era where there are many accepted and safe ways to feed infants. Infant formula today is made up of a careful blend of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. The most common protein is cow's milk, with vegetable oil

for fat and lactose for cars. But with formula currently in short supply, many are wondering if they can make their own version at home, but experts are quick to caution people against doing this. Bashaw explained making your own formula at home could lead to major health problems or even death. Infants require specific nutrients with careful fluid and electrolyte balances that are nearly impossible to recreate at home.

The significant nutritional deficiencies and developmental and growth delays could result from using homemade formulas. Homemade formulas tend to contain far too many saturated fats and proteins for a sensitive young stomach. They also don't have nearly the amount of essential fatty acids or vitamins that an infant needs to thrive, and often feature products like corn syrup, which many babies can't tolerate. Keep in mind that babies used to die

of malnutrition diarrhea. And bottle contamination all the time. Modern commercially produced formulas, by contrast, are heavily regulated, thanks in part to the Infant Formula Act of nineteen eighty, which was updated in ninety six. Bashaw said there's constant development to make formula as close to human milk as possible, both for improved formula tolerance and to ensure babies on

all sources of nutrition grow and develop well. Currently, she notes that there are minimum levels for twenty nine nutrients and maximum levels for nine nutrients in infant formula. Because babies require a special balance to thrive to their fullest potential, most caregivers prefer to pick a formula type and stick with it to minimize the risk of upsetting the baby's cut. However, in these lean formula times, it might be necessary to deviate from the norm and take whatever you can get.

This is likely to be just fine, says Pasha a quote. Most babies can be given different types of formula provided they do not have a medical condition requiring a specialty formula. A baby that can tolerate a cow's milk formula will likely do fine with a plant based so I formula if that's what's available. Similarly, babies on brand name formula

should do well on the generic counterpart of that formula. However, parents with any concerns about switching things up should up an open line of dialogue with a healthcare professional, especially if a child has medical conditions that require specialty formulas. Plus, a healthcare provider can help manage any gastro intestinal systems that may occur with a formula change in dire situations.

The American Academy of Pediatricians says cow's milk can be given to infants over six months old who normally take regular formula, but for no longer than one week. However, you should talk to a healthcare provider first. Today's episode is based on article what did people do Before infant formula was invented? On how stuff Works dot Com written by A Leah Hoyt. The brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com,

and it's produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.