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Home › Articles › Issues for Mom › The Case for the Virgin Gut

The Case for the Virgin Gut

Even the Occasional Bottle of Formula Has Its Risks

By Ann Calandro, RNC, IBCLC

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A breastfeeding mother I worked with recently found out that offering formula early can cause severe problems for some babies. She found this out the hard way. Her baby had early sucking problems and was given formula for a few days in the hospital. This mom worked hard to establish her breastfeeding and soon was successful. Things were going very well until she decided to go shopping one day and leave formula behind for her husband to feed her 6-week-old son. She was not concerned because he had already had formula and shown no adverse affects.

When her husband fed her son, the baby began having severe reactions and was rushed to the hospital. Hospital staff did not think that the problems were related to the formula. This little guy was subjected to thousands of dollars in tests – all negative. He went home exclusively breastfeeding. A few weeks later when his daddy gave him another bottle of formula, he turned blue, almost stopped breathing and was once again rushed to the hospital. It was determined at last that he was allergic to formula. His allergies began with the early formula sensitization in the hospital nursery. Needless to say, he never got formula again. Formula is not so innocent for some babies.

Alternatives to Formula
Sometimes the addition of artificial formulas to infant diets is unavoidable for a variety of reasons. If this is the case, there is very little that can be done to remedy the situation and save the virginal gut. Some hospitals provide banked human milk for babies that must be given supplemental food until mother's mlk is available. The majority of hospitals do not. Recent studies have shown that giving hydrolyzed formula to a baby born in a family with a history of allergies may be the best alternative if formula must be given.

Having knowledge of the importance of what is normal for newborns inside may help some mothers in making a decision about whether or not to supplement their babies for convenience in the early weeks. Very few mothers know how totally different babies are on the inside when artificial food is added to their diets. Some mothers add the formula in the hopes that their babies will sleep longer at night. Knowing that only one bottle a day can totally change the protective environment of their baby's gastrointestinal tract may give them pause to reconsider before instituting this practice.

The case for the virgin gut is a valid one. There is much research to support avoiding supplementation if at all possible. A huge increase in diarrheal diseases occurs in babies who do not have optimal "intestinal fortitude," which is only possible with guts that have never been exposed to infant formula. To preserve your baby's virgin gut, be proactive:

  • Let your pediatrician know that you do not want the baby to have any formula. Ask him or her to write it as an order in your baby's chart.
  • If the baby has a medical need for more milk, express some colostrum to feed to the baby with a cup or spoon.
  • Place a small card in your baby's crib notifying staff that you do not want your baby to have any formula, and if there is a medical need, staff must get written permission from you before it is given, so that alternatives can be explored.
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