Tits or teats?

Do we go for tits or teats? Can one be substituted for the other? Breasts have fascinated mankind for ages due to its nourishing and miraculous qualities. They do not only give sexual pleasure and trigger sexual intercourse which put into motion the whole process of evolution and survival. But the infant and the adult, too, suck breasts and derive much pleasure and benefit from them. Can anything actually replace breasts?

Infant formula has developed so quickly over the years due to strong competition and the need of the modern working mum. There are so many product brands on the market that one can be forgiven for being at a loss of what to choose. Ever wondered whether what the label claims is true of the product? Baby milk manufacturers in England have been ordered to withdraw packaging or labels that claim that their infant formula could replace a mother’s breast milk.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently banned these phrases from several products:

• SMA Gold: ‘Now even closer to breast milk’ and ‘helps to support immunity.’
• Aptamil First: ‘Supports your baby’s natural immune system’ and ‘the closest to breast milk.’
• Cow & Gate and Farley’s: ‘Closer than ever to breast milk.’
• ‘Prebiotics support natural defences.’
• Beta carotene ‘to help maintain a healthy immune system.’

The phrases can be misleading for it creates the impression that formula milk is just as good as milk from a mother. But it is proven that breast milk is superior in helping the growth of the brain and other body parts of the baby. Breast milk also has antibodies that are essential to boost the baby’s fragile immune system which are not available in manufactured milk. Babies who are fed formula milk are more likely to develop gastro-intestinal problems. For today’s busy mothers, the advertising slogans and catchphrases may convince them to switch to infant formula as it is more convenient than breastfeeding the baby.

But the truth is there’s still no better alternative to breast-feeding. A mother’s milk is still far superior. Despite the advance of technology and the over-zealousness of advertisements, the tits beat the teats hands down.