WEBVTT - What Did People Feed Babies Before Formula?

0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:06.880
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey,

0:00:07.000 --> 0:00:11.080
<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, learn vogel Bob here. The shortages of certain

0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:16.120
<v Speaker 1>products like meat or toilet paper are certainly annoying and inconvenient.

0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:19.480
<v Speaker 1>That said, people can live without them, so it's not

0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.160
<v Speaker 1>such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. However,

0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.200
<v Speaker 1>the baby formula shortage of two is pretty scary stuff

0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.120
<v Speaker 1>for caregivers of infants, not to mention adults who have

0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:35.479
<v Speaker 1>medical conditions and need such products to survive. But commercially

0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:39.599
<v Speaker 1>produced formula is still a relatively new fangled invention. So

0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:43.040
<v Speaker 1>what did people do before modern formula hit store shelves.

0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:46.560
<v Speaker 1>Parents had to be prepared in the olden days because

0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:50.400
<v Speaker 1>many childbearing people struggled with low milk production related to

0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:55.880
<v Speaker 1>them undiagnosable medical conditions like hypothybroidism and polycystic overy syndrome,

0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:59.880
<v Speaker 1>among other issues. Also, people used to die in child

0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.720
<v Speaker 1>at that much higher rates than they do today, leaving

0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:07.880
<v Speaker 1>behind infants in need of nourishment. Well before bottles and

0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:12.080
<v Speaker 1>formula came along, babies still had to be fed. Many

0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:14.720
<v Speaker 1>parents turned to wet nurses to get the job done

0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:19.120
<v Speaker 1>when they couldn't or in some cases wouldn't. Wet nurses

0:01:19.160 --> 0:01:22.200
<v Speaker 1>are lack painting people who as early as two thousand

0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:26.520
<v Speaker 1>BC have been employed or volunteered to breastfeed children who

0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:29.679
<v Speaker 1>weren't their own. In some cases, wet nurses have been

0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:34.160
<v Speaker 1>enslaved people as well. A Wet nurses were commonly hired

0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:37.680
<v Speaker 1>for affluent families from ancient times through the nineteenth century.

0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:41.000
<v Speaker 1>The job still exists, though its status as a paying

0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:44.640
<v Speaker 1>profession has largely died out. Today, there are even women

0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:47.680
<v Speaker 1>who form cross nursing groups in which they take turns

0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:50.640
<v Speaker 1>feeding each other's children in order to provide support and

0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.680
<v Speaker 1>also bond with multiple children and families in the community.

0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:58.720
<v Speaker 1>Parents who couldn't breastfeed and who lacked wet nurse access

0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:02.520
<v Speaker 1>often turned to animal milk to nourish their infants. This

0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.120
<v Speaker 1>was the most common type of artificial feeding until the

0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:09.040
<v Speaker 1>end of the eighteen hundreds, although many caregivers used cow's milk,

0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:13.079
<v Speaker 1>Milk from goats, donkeys, camels, horses, pigs, and sheep were

0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:15.920
<v Speaker 1>also used, depending on where the parents lived and what

0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:20.480
<v Speaker 1>was available. Before the modern baby bottle was properly fine tuned,

0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:24.160
<v Speaker 1>children in France and likely other areas would often suck

0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:28.880
<v Speaker 1>directly from an animal's teeth. Another common method in the

0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:31.679
<v Speaker 1>sixteenth to eighteenth centuries was to make a mix called

0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:35.120
<v Speaker 1>pap or panada made of bread soaked in milk or

0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:38.560
<v Speaker 1>cereal cooked in water. This was fed to the baby

0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.480
<v Speaker 1>via a spoon, a rag, or a special device called

0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:45.080
<v Speaker 1>a pap boat. But we didn't yet know about the

0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.440
<v Speaker 1>importance of sterilizing the objects that babies were drinking out of,

0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:53.520
<v Speaker 1>nor how pasteurization worked, nor what nutrients babies need. In

0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.720
<v Speaker 1>the early eighteen hundreds, one third of all babies fed

0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.640
<v Speaker 1>with feeding devices died during their first year of life.

0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:02.840
<v Speaker 1>Of course, other health issues were more deadly back then

0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:08.399
<v Speaker 1>as well. Eventually, enterprising chemists decided to try to more

0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:12.240
<v Speaker 1>closely mimic human breast milk, and in eighteen sixty five

0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:15.600
<v Speaker 1>one Eustace Volan Liebig created what's believed to be the

0:03:15.639 --> 0:03:20.400
<v Speaker 1>world's first infant formula. It was made of wheat, cow's milk, malt, flour,

0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:25.359
<v Speaker 1>and potassium by carbonate. In eighteen sixty seven, pharmacist assistant

0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:27.960
<v Speaker 1>On rins Lely launched a product that was made with

0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:32.880
<v Speaker 1>similar ingredients but was easier to prepare. By eighteen eighty three,

0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:35.960
<v Speaker 1>there were at least twenty seven brands of infant food available.

0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.320
<v Speaker 1>While these would keep a child from going hungry, they

0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:42.360
<v Speaker 1>usually lacked some of the necessary vitamins for infant health.

0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.720
<v Speaker 1>Another milestone in infant formula occurred when we figured out

0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.560
<v Speaker 1>how to preserve foods through canning, which gave rise to

0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:53.320
<v Speaker 1>condensed milk and evaporated milk. In the eighteen hundreds, many

0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:56.640
<v Speaker 1>pediatricians recommended evaporated milk to mothers for their babies in

0:03:56.680 --> 0:04:01.560
<v Speaker 1>the nineteen thirties and forties. The first nonpowder formula hit

0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:07.120
<v Speaker 1>the marketplace in nineteen one to great fanfare. For the article,

0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.400
<v Speaker 1>this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke by

0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:13.640
<v Speaker 1>email with Dr Hilary Bashaw, a pediatric gastrointurologist at Children's

0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:16.320
<v Speaker 1>Healthcare of Atlanta and an assistant professor at the Emory

0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:20.480
<v Speaker 1>University College of Medicine. She said that was a turning

0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:24.040
<v Speaker 1>point in history when the developed world embraced artificial infant

0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.920
<v Speaker 1>formula and it became the feeding method of choice for many,

0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:30.960
<v Speaker 1>regardless of ability to breastfeed. By the nineteen seventies, many

0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:33.640
<v Speaker 1>were turning back to breastfeeding, and now we live in

0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.480
<v Speaker 1>an era where there are many accepted and safe ways

0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:40.960
<v Speaker 1>to feed infants. Infant formula today is made up of

0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:45.000
<v Speaker 1>a careful blend of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.479
<v Speaker 1>The most common protein is cow's milk, with vegetable oil

0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:52.400
<v Speaker 1>for fat and lactose for cars. But with formula currently

0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.040
<v Speaker 1>in short supply, many are wondering if they can make

0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:57.640
<v Speaker 1>their own version at home, but experts are quick to

0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:02.279
<v Speaker 1>caution people against doing this. Bashaw explained making your own

0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:05.039
<v Speaker 1>formula at home could lead to major health problems or

0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:09.479
<v Speaker 1>even death. Infants require specific nutrients with careful fluid and

0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.960
<v Speaker 1>electrolyte balances that are nearly impossible to recreate at home.

0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:17.280
<v Speaker 1>The significant nutritional deficiencies and developmental and growth delays could

0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:22.640
<v Speaker 1>result from using homemade formulas. Homemade formulas tend to contain

0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.880
<v Speaker 1>far too many saturated fats and proteins for a sensitive

0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.000
<v Speaker 1>young stomach. They also don't have nearly the amount of

0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.120
<v Speaker 1>essential fatty acids or vitamins that an infant needs to thrive,

0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:35.680
<v Speaker 1>and often feature products like corn syrup, which many babies

0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:39.479
<v Speaker 1>can't tolerate. Keep in mind that babies used to die

0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:45.200
<v Speaker 1>of malnutrition diarrhea. And bottle contamination all the time. Modern

0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:49.320
<v Speaker 1>commercially produced formulas, by contrast, are heavily regulated, thanks in

0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:51.920
<v Speaker 1>part to the Infant Formula Act of nineteen eighty, which

0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:56.440
<v Speaker 1>was updated in ninety six. Bashaw said there's constant development

0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:58.920
<v Speaker 1>to make formula as close to human milk as possible,

0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:02.560
<v Speaker 1>both for improved formula tolerance and to ensure babies on

0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:07.159
<v Speaker 1>all sources of nutrition grow and develop well. Currently, she

0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:10.080
<v Speaker 1>notes that there are minimum levels for twenty nine nutrients

0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.799
<v Speaker 1>and maximum levels for nine nutrients in infant formula. Because

0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:17.040
<v Speaker 1>babies require a special balance to thrive to their fullest potential,

0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:21.799
<v Speaker 1>most caregivers prefer to pick a formula type and stick

0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.880
<v Speaker 1>with it to minimize the risk of upsetting the baby's cut. However,

0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:28.760
<v Speaker 1>in these lean formula times, it might be necessary to

0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.159
<v Speaker 1>deviate from the norm and take whatever you can get.

0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:35.800
<v Speaker 1>This is likely to be just fine, says Pasha a quote.

0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.960
<v Speaker 1>Most babies can be given different types of formula provided

0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.000
<v Speaker 1>they do not have a medical condition requiring a specialty formula.

0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:45.080
<v Speaker 1>A baby that can tolerate a cow's milk formula will

0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:47.760
<v Speaker 1>likely do fine with a plant based so I formula

0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:51.719
<v Speaker 1>if that's what's available. Similarly, babies on brand name formula

0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:56.599
<v Speaker 1>should do well on the generic counterpart of that formula. However,

0:06:57.040 --> 0:07:00.120
<v Speaker 1>parents with any concerns about switching things up should up

0:07:00.120 --> 0:07:03.159
<v Speaker 1>an open line of dialogue with a healthcare professional, especially

0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:07.680
<v Speaker 1>if a child has medical conditions that require specialty formulas. Plus,

0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:11.200
<v Speaker 1>a healthcare provider can help manage any gastro intestinal systems

0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:16.320
<v Speaker 1>that may occur with a formula change in dire situations.

0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.320
<v Speaker 1>The American Academy of Pediatricians says cow's milk can be

0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.200
<v Speaker 1>given to infants over six months old who normally take

0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.800
<v Speaker 1>regular formula, but for no longer than one week. However,

0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:34.000
<v Speaker 1>you should talk to a healthcare provider first. Today's episode

0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.600
<v Speaker 1>is based on article what did people do Before infant

0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:39.200
<v Speaker 1>formula was invented? On how stuff Works dot Com written

0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:41.440
<v Speaker 1>by A Leah Hoyt. The brain Stuff is production of

0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:43.800
<v Speaker 1>by Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com,

0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:46.840
<v Speaker 1>and it's produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts from

0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:49.880
<v Speaker 1>my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:51.840
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.