Human milk still best bet for premature newborns’ survival (The Columbus Dispatch)

Before the 20 th century, many newborns died if they could not breastfeed because of the widespread infectious diarrhea that plagued bottlefed infants. The advent of refrigeration and changes in the protein of formulas cut mortality rates, but many premature babies could not tolerate the cow-milk formulas.

It was not until the late 1940s that scientists began to study the factors and components in milk and determine the best course for small or sick newborns.



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