What Did People Do Before Infant Formula Was Invented?

It is undoubtedly uncomfortable and irritating when some things, like toilet paper or meat, are in short supply. In the larger scheme of things, though, it’s not a huge concern because people can survive without them. Nonetheless, the scarcity of infant formula in 2022 poses a significant threat to expectant parents. The same goes for individuals with health issues who need these items for survival.

Even with its increasing importance, commercially made formula is still a recent development. Which raises the question: Before modern formulas became available in stores, what did they do? Back then, guardians were ready for the fact that many women suffered from insufficient milk supply. Although the causing medical illnesses were yet undiagnosed at the time, such as POS, hypothyroidism, and other issues. Additionally, the number of mothers who passed away after childbirth used to be far larger than it is now. This left behind newborns who needed to eat.

Babies still needed to be fed long before formula and bottles became available. When parents could not, or would not, complete the task, many sought wet nurses. These nursing mothers were hired (or occasionally volunteered) to nurse children who were not their own as early as 2000 B.C.E. (In certain instances, these nurses were also enslaved.) Although they are no longer in high demand as a vocation, wet nurses are still in existence. These days, some women even organize “cross-nursing” communities. There they alternately feed each other’s kids to encourage one another. It also serves to build relationships with several kids as a cooperative effort.

When a woman was unable to breastfeed her child or did not have access to a wet nurse, she frequently fed her child animal milk. Up until the late 1800s, this used to be the most used kind of artificial method to feed. The majority of parents often used milk from cows. However, depending on where they lived and what had been available, they also used milk from donkeys, goats, horses, camels, sheep, and pigs.

How Were Infant Formulas Prepared In Ancient Times During Crisis?

During the 16th and 18th centuries, another popular technique was preparing a mixture known as panada or pap. This was composed of either boiled grain or soaked bread in milk. The infant was given this using a small spoon, a cloth, or a pap boat, which is a specialized tool. However, the significance of sterilizing items that infants were drinking from was not yet widely known. One-fourth of infants fed with devices made especially for feeding by the beginning of the 19th century perished in their first year of life. The devices might have been poorly maintained or contained contaminated milk.

Eventually, astute scientists decided to attempt replicating breast milk as precisely as possible. Around 1865 JV Liebig produced what is thought to be the first infant formula ever. It contained potassium bicarbonate, malt flour, wheat, and cow’s milk. A simpler-to-prepare version of “Nestlé,” produced with comparable components, was introduced by pharmacy assistant Henri Nestle in 1867. At least twenty-seven different brands of baby food were available by 1883. These would make a youngster chubby, but they typically didn’t include all the vitamins needed for a baby’s health.

Condensed and evaporated milk was first created in the 1800s when humans discovered how to conserve food through canning. This was another significant development in baby formula. In reality, throughout the 1930s and 1940s, a lot of physicians advised moms to give their newborns evaporated milk.

The More Modern Rendition Of The Alternative

With tremendous hoopla, the initial non-powder composition was introduced to the market in 1951. According to Dr. Hillary Bashaw, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and assistant professor at Emory University College of Medicine, “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,” Bashaw notes in an email interview. “By the 1970s, many were turning back to breastfeeding and now, we live in an era where there are many accepted and safe ways to feed infants.”

A precise combination of lipids, proteins, carbs, minerals, and vitamins make up infant formula. With lactose for vegetable oil and carbohydrates for fat, cow’s milk is the most popular source of protein. Many are asking if people can build their version by themselves because there is now a shortage of formula, but experts advised against it.

“Making your formula at home could lead to major health problems or even death,” says Bashaw. “Infants require specific nutrients with careful fluid and electrolyte balances that are nearly impossible to recreate at home.” Bashaw does point out that formula-made at-home formulations are nutritional disasters, including much too much protein and saturated fats for a developing child’s stomach. 

Additionally, they frequently contain items like corn syrup, which many newborns cannot handle, and they lack the vital vitamins and fatty acids that a baby needs to grow. “Significant nutritional deficiencies and developmental and growth delays could result from using homemade formulas,” she states. Lest you think she’s exaggerating, consider that in the past, due to shoddy feeding techniques, newborns frequently perished from malnourishment, diarrhea, and bottle infection.

Infant Formula Keeps Being Improved Today

Contrarily, modern commercially made formulas are subject to strict regulations, largely because of the 1980 IFA (revised in 1986). “There is 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,” Bashaw explains.

According to her, baby formula currently has basic levels of twenty-nine nutrients and the highest levels of nine nutrients since newborns need a certain balance to develop to the best of their abilities. “All formulas must be within the ranges allowed by law.” But parents who are worried about changing things up should speak with their kid’s physician as soon as possible, especially if the youngster has a medical condition that calls for specialty formulae. “In addition, they [infants who have to switch formulas] might need help managing mild gastrointestinal symptoms that might occur with a formula change,” she continues.