Now Ye're Talking - to an infant milk scientist

Neyite

We discovered a poster here on Boards did a very interesting PhD on infant milk that might be of special interest to parents, particularly parents of pre-weaned babies. She very kindly agreed to come along and take part in a AMA for us, focusing on the scientific side of infant feeding.

She can answer any questions on the composition of milk, or on the novel applications of different types of milk. She can answer questions on the similarities (and differences) between human milk and formula milk, and the potential issues that may/may not cause for baby (& why there are so many different formulas on the shelf!). She can talk about milk banks, the process of making infant formula, and even provide an explanation as to why breast milk is a different colour sometimes.

She can talk about the link between the reduction of incidences of breast cancer in women who breast fed (along with the hypothesis behind it), the vaccine for breast cancer, and the changes that milk can undergo as required by baby. She can also try to debunk / confirm any myths that people have heard.

However...
She is unable to answer any questions from a feeding point of view, such as latch issues or stimulating milk production as she had nothing to do with that side of things!

Neyite

Ok, I have a couple of questions!

Colostrum: What's in it that makes it so important?

Next question is about milk banks. Do the milk banks screen for things that could be transmitted through breast milk such as drugs /medications or disease?

Thank you!

rainbow kirby

Can you tell us more about the links between breastfeeding and reduced incidences of breast cancer?

I'm curious as I'm the daughter of a 2 time breast cancer survivor, have dense glandular tissue which is difficult to examine (higher risk) and have been breastfeeding my son for 7 months.

cyning

Where do you stand on the fore milk/hind milk debate? Is it really that big a deal?

What is the safest way to make formula?

Why do formula fed babies have more stomach bugs?

Thanks for doing this!

painauchocolat

What a kind offer!

When I moved from breastfeeding to formula, i read somewhere (in a haze of guilt and sleep deprivation) that most studies comparing breastfed babies to bottle fed babies study babies from different families, but a study that compared siblings (where one had been bottle fed, the other breastfed) found relatively little difference in outcomes for the kids, suggesting that factors like genetics, parental income and education etc were more significant.

My question is... Did I hallucinate this in an attempt to ease my guilt, or is it an actual thing?

Many thanks

Ms2011

Is it possible to freeze dry or however the process is done to create a powdered actual breastmilk that can be rehydrated & prepared like formula?

mirrorwall14

Where do you stand on the breast feedings versus bottle fed in circumstances where the Mother needs to take medication that is contraindicated for breastfeeding? I felt so guilty

TheBody

When my son was born, he was fed on SMA. After the first week, he became extremly unwell. Constant screaming and crying.

I brought him to 4 different GP's who dismissed it all and said it was just colic. Being a new parent it was difficult to listen to this as I knew in my bones something was wrong.

During one particularly bad screaming session, I brought him to hospital and said I'm not leaving until somebody performs some serious tests/examinations and I was not accepting colic for a diagnosis!!

A wondererful paediatrician in Mullingar hospital listened to us and tested my son for just about everything. She also had all his organs checked on an ultrasound. All clear. In the end she suggested that we try a differnt brand of formula....Aptamil.

We went on our way. Not very hopeful to be honest but we did what we were told. Ther ingredients were virtually the same as SMA just in slightly different quantities. The amazing thing was it worked!! The crying stopped within a few hours of the SMA leaving his system. No more screaming baby!!

So, my question is why do you think SMA formula, which is essentially the same as Aptamil cause such a drastic reaction in my son?

Wesser

I see one particular brand which is pushing the protein aspect of its formula milk. Rich in protein etc. Protein is cool and in vogue at the moment for young men building muscle. Protein bars protein ice cream etc etc etc. I find this marketing ploy disgraceful. Babies do not need extra protein. What is your opinion. Thank you.

Happydippy

Hi,
I'm breastfeeding my toddler, I was wondering how different is the breastmilk now to when she was a newborn? Does it change much in composition as a baby grows?
And are there still nutritional benefits for a toddler who eats a reasonably balanced diet, most days.
Thanks

jlm29

I wonder about tandem feeding. (Im not tandem feeding myself). If the milk adapts to meet the needs of the child, how does the body know which child to cater for?

jlm29

Regarding the milk bank (particularly the Irish one in Fermanagh, I don't know how any others operate). I have heard that in terms of feeding an infant the order of preference of what to feed them would be
A)breast milk directly from source -I.e. Via nursing
expressed breast milk from the infants own mother
C) expressed milk -age matched
D) expressed milk- not age matched
E) synthetic milk/formula

Firstly-is this accurate? (Obviously I know some of it is!). Secondly, if it is, why does the bank take milk only from mothers whose babies are <7mo? Surely if not-age matched milk is preferable to formula, there would be a place for it?

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Thanks Neyite, January and Orion for the invite to discuss the wonder of milk. Hopefully I can share some of the knowledge I learned with you guys.

I see there are a few questions already - fantastic! Thank you.

I have read them all and I will respond fully to them all as soon as I get to my computer. In the meantime feel free to keep asking questions. The more the merrier and there is no such thing as a stupid question!

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Before I start - thanks for the opportunity to answer some questions.

Also, if at any stage further clarification on a topic is needed, feel free to ask. And if I'm too sciencey let me know - I'm always interested in explaining things in a way that is accessible to all.

Neyite wrote: »

Ok, I have a couple of questions!

Fire away. The more the merrier.

Neyite wrote: »

Colostrum: What's in it that makes it so important?

Colostrum is the first milk that is produced after baby is born (or sometimes even before baby is born). The idea of colostrum is that it is the babies first feed. There's a huge concentration of things that boost babies immune system - things called antibodies, cytokines and growth factors which can help baby develop his own immune system to guard against infections. It also contains other important proteins including:
- lactoferrin (which has natural antimicrobial activity, it binds iron and transports it around the body, and it boosts epithelial cells which are the cells inside babys tummy).
- lysozyme (another antimicrobial protein - its usually found in tears and prevents eye infections in people).

It also contains lots of vitamins, minerals, sugars and fats - all of which are essential for growth and development.

The combination of all of the above also have a slight laxative effect, encouraging the first poo!

Colostrum is available for use as a food supplement for grown up humans too, however there's very little evidence that it performs any better than regular protein supplements, particularly in healthy individuals. The real benefit of colostrum comes in the early days of feeding - hopefully grown ups will have developed their own immune systems!

(Maybe if colostrum has a tendency to induce poos, weighlifters shouldn't take it if they're going to be straining...)

Neyite wrote: »

Next question is about milk banks. Do the milk banks screen for things that could be transmitted through breast milk such as drugs /medications or disease?

Short answer - yes.

Long answer - as much as is reasonably possible. The donations aren't anonymous, so there is an onus on mum to disclose any medications that may be present in the breast milk. Same for any illness that mum may have that can be transmitted through milk. In terms of bacterial loading, all of the banked milk is pasteurised as soon as it's received. It not only reduces bacteria in the milk, but it extends its shelf life a little :pac: Ah no, it makes it more stable for longer and allows delivery to far away hospitals or batch deliveries when needed.

There's only one human milk bank in Ireland and it's based in Fermanagh. For anyone who would be interested in donating their milk, they can be contacted on tmb.irvinestown@westerntrust.hscni.net - I'm not trying to advertise their services, I'm in no way affiliated with them. I just know the importance of their service - not only in providing milk for potentially very sick babies or babies that have lost mum, but also giving scientists a better understanding of breast milk (which can only serve to improve our knowledge and improve formula milk).

Neyite wrote: »

Thank you!

You're welcome.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Can you tell us more about the links between breastfeeding and reduced incidences of breast cancer?

I'm curious as I'm the daughter of a 2 time breast cancer survivor, have dense glandular tissue which is difficult to examine (higher risk) and have been breastfeeding my son for 7 months.

Wow - your mum must have really been through the mill with her two battles. I hope she is doing well now.

The general consensus amongst the scientific world is that the longer a woman breast feeds for, the less of a risk she has of developing breast cancer. There is a very in depth study which was published in The Lancet in 2002 (v 360, p 187) which confirms this world-over. (If you would like to access the paper, let me know)

There are several hypotheses for why there is a decrease in breast cancer rates in mothers who breast feed compared to those that don't. I'll try and explain them:
- Stimulation of milk production keeps breast tissue active and makes you less likely to have little patches of dead tissue there
- Breast feeding removes dead cells from the breast (they go into the milk but have no bad effects for baby)
- Hormones. Those beautiful hormones :pac:

Breast feeding does reduce the incidences of breast cancer, however I would still follow any screening procedures recommended to you by your doctors.

Congrats on the baby

lazygal

I've been breastfeeding since mid 2012. My younger child shows no signs of weaning, he's over three years old. Have I reduced my risk of breast cancer? If I keep feeding will this reduce the risk further? My grandmother died from breast cancer, and several relatives have had it.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

cyning wrote: »

Where do you stand on the fore milk/hind milk debate? Is it really that big a deal?

No. There is very little difference between hind milk and fore milk. It's all still milk. Baby isn't going to be any better or worse off. It's simply just a supply issue. If you imagine you're going shopping and you want to buy shoes and a bag and a coat, you'll go into every shop that sells shoes, bags and coats. You're shopping with a friend who only wants a bag, and she only goes into the shops with bags. She will reach the end of the street before you because even though you travelled the same distance, you were held up more on the way through. That's what happens with breast milk - different parts arrive at different times but they all get there in the end.

cyning wrote: »

What is the safest way to make formula?

The safest way to make formula is the way that is written on the tin, essentially. Infant formula is compounded, pasteurised and spray dried, so it's very unlikely to contain any bugs that could upset baby's tummy. However when you're mixing it, it's important to use boiled water to ensure that no nasties get in through the water. And sterilised bottles if you're going to be storing the bottles. When reheating, if possible do it in a cup of hot water rather than the microwave.

cyning wrote: »

Why do formula fed babies have more stomach bugs?

Now I'm going to need some clarification on what you mean by tummy bugs - do you mean pukey and poos? Or do you mean the healthy bugs (gut microbiota) that we all have?

If you mean the former, it's to do with the immune system and infection control. Mum is unlikely to have any nasty bacteria on her skin, and any that she has baby will likely be immune to. So there's less risk of infection at source (for the want of a better expression - baby bottle teats can harbour bugs!). But also, breast milk can change its composition to meet the nutritional needs of baby. The nipple has sensors that can say "oh, baby has the sniffles, let's produce more lysozyme to kill that nasty bug", and breast milk also has higher concentrations of those bug busting proteins.

If you mean the latter, changes in the prebiotics in milk will impact the gut microbiota.

cyning wrote: »

Thanks for doing this!

You're welcome

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

lazygal wrote: »

I've been breastfeeding since mid 2012. My younger child shows no signs of weaning, he's over three years old. Have I reduced my risk of breast cancer? If I keep feeding will this reduce the risk further? My grandmother died from breast cancer, and several relatives have had it.

I've answered this just above your question, but if you have further queries let me know

But ultimately, yes. You have reduced your risk of breast cancer. The reduction in risk decreases over time though - extended breast feeding doesn't have a significant impact on risk reduction (beyond the initial reduction).

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Ms2011 wrote: »

Is it possible to freeze dry or however the process is done to create a powdered actual breastmilk that can be rehydrated & prepared like formula?

Of course. But the issue is supply - there simply isn't enough spare breast milk to justify making powdered breast milk.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Where do you stand on the breast feedings versus bottle fed in circumstances where the Mother needs to take medication that is contraindicated for breastfeeding? I felt so guilty

I am the child of a mother who couldn't breast feed because she was taking medication.

I turned out just fine

The technology has come on leaps and bounds. The difference between formula and breast milk is much smaller now than it was before.

Are there health benefits to baby being breast fed? Sure. Is it worth compromising the health of mum to breast feed baby? No!

Your baby was fed. Ultimately that's the most important thing in all of this. You have zero reason to feel guilty!

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

TheBody wrote: »

When my son was born, he was fed on SMA. After the first week, he became extremly unwell. Constant screaming and crying.

I brought him to 4 different GP's who dismissed it all and said it was just colic. Being a new parent it was difficult to listen to this as I knew in my bones something was wrong.

During one particularly bad screaming session, I brought him to hospital and said I'm not leaving until somebody performs some serious tests/examinations and I was not accepting colic for a diagnosis!!

A wondererful paediatrician in Mullingar hospital listened to us and tested my son for just about everything. She also had all his organs checked on an ultrasound. All clear. In the end she suggested that we try a differnt brand of formula....Aptamil.

We went on our way. Not very hopeful to be honest but we did what we were told. Ther ingredients were virtually the same as SMA just in slightly different quantities. The amazing thing was it worked!! The crying stopped within a few hours of the SMA leaving his system. No more screaming baby!!

So, my question is why do you think SMA formula, which is essentially the same as Aptamil cause such a drastic reaction in my son?

Sorry to hear that baby was so unwell! I'm glad that the change in formula had such a positive impact on his health!

I know that nutritionally they're the same product. They will provide the same % protein, fats, sugars, vitamins etc, and they'll be made with roughly the same processing. However the composition of the individual proteins in the milk can vary drastically depending on the source of milk proteins used.

I'll try to explain it. Different proteins are different sizes. The bigger proteins are a little bit harder for baby to digest - so his tummy is going to go into overdrive. Some milks have more of the smaller proteins, so they're a little bit easier for baby to digest.

I can go into more detail if you'd like?

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Wesser wrote: »

I see one particular brand which is pushing the protein aspect of its formula milk. Rich in protein etc. Protein is cool and in vogue at the moment for young men building muscle. Protein bars protein ice cream etc etc etc. I find this marketing ploy disgraceful. Babies do not need extra protein. What is your opinion. Thank you.

Ah yes. The "in vogue"ness of protein!

You're correct in that babies don't need extra protein, but the quality of the protein in the milk is important.

There are two main families of protein in milk: casein and whey. Casein is what is used to make cheese, and whey was historically a waste product/product of no value. However when they started doing research into whey they discovered that whey is pretty cool! I'm going to throw out some figures now:
Human milk is 60% whey, 40% casein.
Cows milk is 80% casein, 20% whey.

Cows milk is the source of protein for infant formula, so a lot more casein is available. Hence it's more economical to use casein over whey, if you're just looking at it from protein content point of view.

However, whey is the part of the milk that has the more "functional" proteins - the immune boosting proteins.

Now if you're looking to have a milk that's 40% protein, as a milk formula manufacturer it is way cheaper to use the casein to make up the bulk of the protein. However, in terms of the idea of "humanising" infant formula, it's better to use the whey. The ones that advertise the protein aspect of it likely have a higher % of whey in them.

Protein is protein when it comes to nutrition and building blocks. And being honest, it's unlikely that some of the bioactive proteins that are in whey will have full activity in baby, because of the processing of the proteins.

Anne_cordelia

painauchocolat wrote: »

What a kind offer!

When I moved from breastfeeding to formula, i read somewhere (in a haze of guilt and sleep deprivation) that most studies comparing breastfed babies to bottle fed babies study babies from different families, but a study that compared siblings (where one had been bottle fed, the other breastfed) found relatively little difference in outcomes for the kids, suggesting that factors like genetics, parental income and education etc were more significant.

My question is... Did I hallucinate this in an attempt to ease my guilt, or is it an actual thing?

Many thanks

Really interested in this. Fascinating topic by the way.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

painauchocolat wrote: »

What a kind offer!

When I moved from breastfeeding to formula, i read somewhere (in a haze of guilt and sleep deprivation) that most studies comparing breastfed babies to bottle fed babies study babies from different families, but a study that compared siblings (where one had been bottle fed, the other breastfed) found relatively little difference in outcomes for the kids, suggesting that factors like genetics, parental income and education etc were more significant.

My question is... Did I hallucinate this in an attempt to ease my guilt, or is it an actual thing?

Many thanks

Short answer - no. You didn't hallucinate.

Long answer to follow when I can get the link to the correct study - I don't have my laptop home at the moment.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Happydippy wrote: »

Hi,
I'm breastfeeding my toddler, I was wondering how different is the breastmilk now to when she was a newborn? Does it change much in composition as a baby grows?
And are there still nutritional benefits for a toddler who eats a reasonably balanced diet, most days.
Thanks

Does it change much? Yes.

Have you ever expressed milk? You may have noticed that when baby was born your milk was almost yellow? Well that's because the first milk is very highly concentrated whey proteins (which are the soluble proteins).

Interesting fact. Well, maybe not interesting to non nerds. Milk isn't actually white! It's an optical illusion. It's a colloid system, so you're seeing a suspension of the casein proteins together. The soluble part of milk is actually yellow.

Anyway, yes. Colostrum is full of whey. Hence the yellow. However as the days go on, the compositions changes. More casein is produced, and the composition of the whey changes. The predominant whey protein becomes a protein called alpha lactalbumin rather than the immunoglobulins, and it's less yellow.

(Alpha lactalbumin is the protein I did my PhD on)

So as the months go on, baby starts eating more food so relies less on the nutrients from mum, so the milk becomes pretty dilute.

In terms of nutritional benefits, yeah, there would still be benefits. But I don't think that it should be the driving factor in continuing to BF. Obviously if you're comfortable continuing, go for it, but nutritionally cows milk will be as good, or even a piece of cheese and a glass of water.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

jlm29 wrote: »

I wonder about tandem feeding. (Im not tandem feeding myself). If the milk adapts to meet the needs of the child, how does the body know which child to cater for?

The human body is a wonder sometimes!

The short answer is hormones. Mum knows which mouth needs to be fed. So the milk is produced accordingly. I've heard stories of using the left boob for one and the right boob for the other, but the body really can tell the difference. It's fascinating.

jlm29 wrote: »

Regarding the milk bank (particularly the Irish one in Fermanagh, I don't know how any others operate). I have heard that in terms of feeding an infant the order of preference of what to feed them would be
A)breast milk directly from source -I.e. Via nursing
expressed breast milk from the infants own mother
C) expressed milk -age matched
D) expressed milk- not age matched
E) synthetic milk/formula

Firstly-is this accurate? (Obviously I know some of it is!). Secondly, if it is, why does the bank take milk only from mothers whose babies are <7mo? Surely if not-age matched milk is preferable to formula, there would be a place for it?

Yeah, that would be fairly accurate on A, B and C. The lines are a bit blurry then in terms of what nutrients would be best for baby - see previous answers on the protein composition over time. Young babies need more protein than older babies - if the non-age matched milk contains too little protein, then supplementing with IF is needed.

As for the <7mo I don't know that one. I can't remember off the top of my head the exact dates but I had samples of milk from different stages of milk production. It's possible that some were from private donors, but we did get milk from the milk bank on occasion.

And there is, of course, a place for non age matched milk, however it comes down to supply and demand. Very few mums can express and donate and feed baby at the same time, and donations aren't guaranteed on a frequent basis.

jlm29

Thank you! It's all very interesting! I know this might be outside of your remit, but as regards the energy requirements required for a lactating mother to feed an infant, word on the street is that it burns approx 500 cals in a day. Presumably this reduces over time, as baby starts solids, etc, but by how much?

brokensoul

I have 16 week old twins, breastfed to 6 weeks and then formula fed as I developed an abscess.

One twin is flying it but the other has had rashes and reflux and generally is uncomfortable a good bit. She is putting on weight and keeping food down but obviously it would be nice for her to be more comfortable. We have moved her onto aptimil pepti on the advice of our doctor as she may have a cow milk protein allergy and it has made some difference but not an enormous amount.

I am wondering if you can explain why some babies get these allergies and if there is any way to figure out what formula might work best (lactose free, pepti etc) apart from trial and error?

Thanks so much.

teggers5

hi... my son is now 6 months old. breastfed for the first week and formula since then. (Aptamil)
my question, should I move him to stage 2 milk now that he's 6 months even though he's only slowly taking to solids... Or should I leave him on stage 1 formula until weaning is more established?

sword1

The safest way to make formula is the way that is written on the tin, essentially. Infant formula is compounded, pasteurised and spray dried, so it's very unlikely to contain any bugs that could upset baby's tummy. However when you're mixing it, it's important to use boiled water to ensure that no nasties get in through the water. And sterilised bottles if you're going to be storing the bottles. When reheating, if possible do it in a cup of hot water rather than the microwave.

Why not use the microwave? How. Does it change the milk?

SpatialPlanning

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA wrote: »

If you mean the former, it's to do with the immune system and infection control. Mum is unlikely to have any nasty bacteria on her skin, and any that she has baby will likely be immune to. So there's less risk of infection at source (for the want of a better expression - baby bottle teats can harbour bugs!). But also, breast milk can change its composition to meet the nutritional needs of baby. The nipple has sensors that can say "oh, baby has the sniffles, let's produce more lysozyme to kill that nasty bug", and breast milk also has higher concentrations of those bug busting proteins.

If you mean the latter, changes in the prebiotics in milk will impact the gut microbiota.

You're welcome

Hi,

Thank you for such an excellent AMA! I was just reading this with my wife and she had a question about the bolded part above:

If you use a nipple shield when breastfeeding, does that interfere with the process mentioned above whereby the composition of the milk responds to changes in the baby's nutritional needs?

lazygal

teggers5 wrote: »

hi... my son is now 6 months old. breastfed for the first week and formula since then. (Aptamil)
my question, should I move him to stage 2 milk now that he's 6 months even though he's only slowly taking to solids... Or should I leave him on stage 1 formula until weaning is more established?

Stage 2 is unnecessary. It's nothing but a marketing tool. Stay on the same milk, at year old you can switch to regular milk and phase out bottles entirely.

bovril

I have a few questions

Have you done any studies on how alcohol passes through to breastmilk?

Is there any difference between breastmilk produced for boy and girl babies?

One of the benefits of breastfeeding advertised is that it reduces childhood obesity. Can you explain why?

Thanks for doing this.

yellowlabrador

Goats milk is supposed to be better for a young child than cows milk. Is there any validity to this claim?

Wesser

Who do you work for?

ElleToro

Thanks for doing this - it's so interesting!

I was wondering about uses for breast milk. There's a belief that breast milk can be used to treat things like eye and ear infections, or to help help burns or cuts. What are your thoughts on this from a science point of view? Is it beneficial to put breast milk on something like an eye infection in child/adult?

Thanks again x

cyning

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA wrote: »

In terms of nutritional benefits, yeah, there would still be benefits. But I don't think that it should be the driving factor in continuing to BF. Obviously if you're comfortable continuing, go for it, but nutritionally cows milk will be as good, or even a piece of cheese and a glass of water.

I'm kinda surprised by this? I though nutritionally even at this age breastmilk contains vit c, d,b12 and folate not available in milk/cheese?

Why does breastfeeding reduce the risk of ear infections? I say that as the mother of a breastfed child who needed grommets at 11 months so what ever it is didn't work here

Neyite

Wesser wrote: »

Who do you work for?

Mod:

I'm not allowing our guest to answer an identifying question like that on here.

There have been several deleted posts that are inferring that she's part of the Formula industry and that this thread is somehow promoting that or some sort of backdoor advertising for them. I can verify that this is NOT the case.

The mods and Boards.ie have verified her real life details and research history and are satisfied that she is in NO way affiliated /employed with formula companies and never has been. She is a scientist in cancer research who studied breast milk as part of that research.

cornflake1

What is your opinion on the virgin gut? I have been breastfeeding but my baby had formula top ups from day 3 to day 7 due to jaundice and ABO incompatibility. Less than 200ml over the five days. Now I have come across articles on the virgin gut which say giving formula top ups in the first ten days can cause problems for the baby later like allergies and other health issues. It's almost like these many of the benefits of breastfeeding have already been negated due to the early formula top up which is very disheartening.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Okay - have a few answers prepared here. If I missed any questions feel free to ask again!

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

brokensoul wrote: »

I have 16 week old twins, breastfed to 6 weeks and then formula fed as I developed an abscess.

One twin is flying it but the other has had rashes and reflux and generally is uncomfortable a good bit. She is putting on weight and keeping food down but obviously it would be nice for her to be more comfortable. We have moved her onto aptimil pepti on the advice of our doctor as she may have a cow milk protein allergy and it has made some difference but not an enormous amount.

I am wondering if you can explain why some babies get these allergies and if there is any way to figure out what formula might work best (lactose free, pepti etc) apart from trial and error?

Thanks so much.

16 week old twins. Cripes! Sorry to hear about your abscess. Hopefully it's well healed.

Sorry to hear that bub is uncomfortable after feeds. Nothing worse than trying to settle baby who doesn't know why she's uncomfortable!

Aptamil pepti is a semi hydrolysed infant formula. Pepti is short for peptide. Peptides are what make up proteins.

Now. This comes back to the protein size issue. Along with the different whey/casein ratio in the different milks, within the different subsets of them, there are differences.

The predominant human whey protein is alpha lactalbumin (I'll do more on this later - it's unreal and I want to do it justice!). However only about 20% of cows whey is a-lac - the predominant one here is beta lactoglobulin. But b-lac doesn't exist in human milk! Ordinarily baby can digest it, but sometimes they can't and it can upset their tummy.

So they developed a formula where they pre digest the beta lac to break it down more and make it easier on baby.

I'm afraid that there is no quick and easy way to determine the best milk. It's trial and error. The main culprits in IF would be beta lac and lactose. Beyond that your GP may be able to recommend a dairy free formula, or allergy testing. But tbh allergy tests can be hit and miss.

I hope you get sorted soon. If you need further clarification let me know. I have more info but I don't want to bamboozle you.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

teggers5 wrote: »

hi... my son is now 6 months old. breastfed for the first week and formula since then. (Aptamil)
my question, should I move him to stage 2 milk now that he's 6 months even though he's only slowly taking to solids... Or should I leave him on stage 1 formula until weaning is more established?

If he's happy and healthy on stage 1, leave him on it. As lazygal said, there's not much difference in them and there's no one size fits all. Stage 2 is less calorific to reflect the increase in calories from solids but once baby is happy, not hungry and not concerning medical staff with weight, stick with what works.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

sword1 wrote: »

Why not use the microwave? How. Does it change the milk?

A cup of water is easier to control temperature wise.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Hi,

Thank you for such an excellent AMA! I was just reading this with my wife and she had a question about the bolded part above:

If you use a nipple shield when breastfeeding, does that interfere with the process mentioned above whereby the composition of the milk responds to changes in the baby's nutritional needs?

I'm going to claim ignorance on this as I don't know what a nipple shield is, however if babys saliva is in contact with the nipple at all, that's the trigger.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

Wesser wrote: »

Who do you work for?

Failing to see the significance of this question tbh. My current job is absolutely in no way relevant to my PhD, bar the techniques that I use.

This isn't a sales pitch for any infant formula or any pro breast feeding agenda. It was a private discussion between myself and Neyite about my PhD, and she asked if I would be able to answer questions/provide interesting info about breast milk and infant formula.

And furthermore, my project was in no way affiliated or funded by any dairy companies. It was a study on the anti cancer properties of human milk, completed in conjunction with a group in Sweden and the Swedish milk banks.

And as Neyite said, she has verified my identity IRL, and I'm sure Orion (who I frequently chat to IRL as we are friends) can vouch for me on this one too.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

ElleToro wrote: »

Thanks for doing this - it's so interesting!

I was wondering about uses for breast milk. There's a belief that breast milk can be used to treat things like eye and ear infections, or to help help burns or cuts. What are your thoughts on this from a science point of view? Is it beneficial to put breast milk on something like an eye infection in child/adult?

Thanks again x

Great question!

From a science point of view, absolutely. There are so many anti bacterial components in human milk. From a human point of view, I don't think I'd fancy squirting breast milk into my eye

But if you have some to spare and you have a cut, lash it on. It won't do any harm and it will reduce the bacteria levels.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

cyning wrote: »

I'm kinda surprised by this? I though nutritionally even at this age breastmilk contains vit c, d,b12 and folate not available in milk/cheese?

Why does breastfeeding reduce the risk of ear infections? I say that as the mother of a breastfed child who needed grommets at 11 months so what ever it is didn't work here

Yeah, BM contains folate and vitamins and whatnot, but if the toddler is eating a balanced diet including fruits and vegetables that contain folate, there's no need for extra levels of folate.

And the milk boosts the immune system, which is how it reduces the incidence of ear infections. However as a person who suffers from ear infections requiring regular hospital trips for it to be cleared, some people are just more prone to them than others.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

cornflake1 wrote: »

What is your opinion on the virgin gut? I have been breastfeeding but my baby had formula top ups from day 3 to day 7 due to jaundice and ABO incompatibility. Less than 200ml over the five days. Now I have come across articles on the virgin gut which say giving formula top ups in the first ten days can cause problems for the baby later like allergies and other health issues. It's almost like these many of the benefits of breastfeeding have already been negated due to the early formula top up which is very disheartening.

Could you link some of those articles? I can have a look at them and see whether they're from a reputable source.

In my (semi) limited experience, babies gut is "leaky" - but not in a bad way! When baby is born the intestinal wall has little gaps in it to allow for everything important to get into the blood stream. This closes up fairly rapidly - it varies from baby to baby but we're talking days. I can't see why any co-feeding with formula would cause allergies, to be honest. But I'll reserve judgment until I can read the articles.

I have read lots of articles on infant digestion. My project was on the potential formation of an anti cancer complex in the stomach of breast fed infants, so I know about the stomach. Unfortunately for this question, the protein I studied is resistant to digestion in the intestines so I didn't learn so much about that.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

yellowlabrador wrote: »

Goats milk is supposed to be better for a young child than cows milk. Is there any validity to this claim?

Goats milk is less likely to cause allergies in babies, but there's nothing to say that for babies that don't react to cows milk that goats milk is better.

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA

bovril wrote: »

I have a few questions

Have you done any studies on how alcohol passes through to breastmilk?

Not personally, no. Sorry! Any BM we got was anonymous donations.

bovril wrote: »

Is there any difference between breastmilk produced for boy and girl babies?

Interesting question! But no. Unless they are tandem feeding, there's no difference between milks produced for baby boys and baby girls.

bovril wrote: »

One of the benefits of breastfeeding advertised is that it reduces childhood obesity. Can you explain why?

I can try. The main source of fatty tissue is called adipose tissue. The higher calorie content of infant formula can drive the growth of adipose cells/tissues, and there are components in human milk that can regulate the growth of adipose tissue. So the more adipose tissue somebody has, the more potential there is for them to gain weight.

Essentially!

However, with a balanced diet, IF fed babies shouldn't all go on to be obese. Some of the studies can be very selective in how they present data.

bovril wrote: »

Thanks for doing this.

You're welcome.

Neyite

I'm an infant milk scientist, AMA wrote: »

I'm going to claim ignorance on this as I don't know what a nipple shield is, however if babys saliva is in contact with the nipple at all, that's the trigger.

I briefly used these in the first week. They are a soft silicone mould that fits over the nipple and the areola with a small hole in the tip over the nipple that allows milk to pass through. The baby can still latch and suck but it helps baby continue to take breast milk in cases where mum's nipples are sore or if mum has inverted nipples.

As far as I could tell with the usage of them, the baby's saliva didn't come into contact with the nipple or its surrounding tissue. I stand to be corrected on this though.