Breast milk is superior to formula. There’s no doubt about that.

But, modern living has (to varying degrees) exposed all mothers to “…DDT (the banned but stubbornly persistent pesticide famous for nearly wiping out the bald eagle), PCB’s, dioxin, trichloroethylene, perchlorate, mercury, lead, benzene, arsenic. When we nurse our babies, we feed them not only the fats, sugars and proteins that fire their immune systems, metabolisms and cerebral synapses. We also feed them, albeit in minuscule amounts, paint thinners, dry-cleaning fluids, wood preservatives, toilet deodorizers, cosmetic additives, gasoline byproducts, rocket fuel, termite poisons, fungicides and flame retardants.” (New York Times Magazine, January 9, 2005)

And what about those of us who nurse our children past six months, one year, or in our case, two? Are we giving them greater doses of these undesirable chemicals and causing them harm? Nobody knows.

Despite this bit of worrisome information, all the experts agree that babies and their mothers can’t do any better than breast milk and breastfeeding. Avalanches of studies showing positive effects bury those showing negative ones.