Baby fed on raw milk formula

[EmmaOvary]

Does anyone know anyone who does this? As in, raw, unpasteurised cow’s milk, from birth. Mixed with other stuff to make ‘formula.’ Met someone who gave her baby this and I am shocked.

She is a loon
Does she drink it too or is only her baby's health she takes risks with

I was incredibly ill after raw milk as a child and spent a week in hospital
Never touched it since

Human beings have the most powerful brains of any animal but some humans seem absolutely determined not to use their brains. Anyone feeding raw cow's milk to a baby is an out and out idiot who knows nothing about the history of food safety and medicine. This is an interesting article about the development of formula feeding (US-centric, but I expect the UK history is similar). https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/concise-history-infant-formula-twists-and-turns-included

Key quote from that article: In the early 19th century, it was observed that infants fed unaltered cow's milk had a high mortality rate and were prone to "indigestion" and dehydration compared with those who were breastfed.

You can buy unpasteurised milk from brucellosis accredited herds but I wouldn't take the risk. Especially for babies

Yes. There's a huge "raw milk" community online - mainly Fundamentalist Christians.

This is beyond dangerous

Hopefully all dairy cows are TB tested I know the cattle where a relative hires a workshop has the vets in doing TB testing of the cattle.

Babies aren't baby cows, either...Breast milk is very different in composition, heck, even puppy owners are advised not to give them cow's milk as they are not able to digest lactose well.

I'd never risk feeding a baby human raw cow's milk.

That's crazy.

Jesus wept. I thought I’d heard most things but making your own AF with unpasteurised milk… that’s got to be a safeguarding issue.
I wouldn’t be hesitation to report any parent putting their infant at risk in this way.

That was my first thought, too.
Breast milk is perfectly balanced for a baby, natural and free of nasties that might be in cattle milk- which after all is meant to be for baby cows.

There may be TB free herds etc but there isn't one in existence that can 100% guarantee no contamination from E. coli!

Honestly I'd report this to SS OP. Highly dangerous.

The website OP mentions also has a recipe for a liver based formula.

This needs a safeguarding referral.

I’ve heard it all now ! Liver based baby formula 🤢 terrifying

I've just looked at that website, its insane
did you say you were at a group when you met this nutter OP? If so, I'd be talking to the group leader/organisation and asking for somebody qualified to come and give a talk
I would seriously fear for any child being fed that
on the plus side it looks very complicated so maybe most people read about it and then think it's too much bother.

As a side note, I recall in a Penelope Leach book she tells you how to make home made formula in an emergency, obviously with pasteurised milk- I think it was watered down, boiled and had sugar added. Clearly for an emergency only.

If you read the article I linked to earlier, it says that most US babies fed on formula in the 1960s or for a couple of decades before were routinely fed as follows:

a formula created by mixing 13 oz of evaporated milk with 19 oz of water and two tablespoons of either corn syrup or table sugar. Every day, parents prepared a day's worth of this formula, transferred it to bottles that they had sterilized in a pan of boiling water, and stored it in a refrigerator until used. In addition to formula, infants received supplemental vitamins and iron.

NB: evaporated milk, not condensed milk. This was not an emergency formula, it was the one the paediatrician who wrote the article says was the standard food for babies.

In the UK I think it would have been tins of powdered milk from the baby clinic. I assume you had to buy the tins. That's certainly what my Mum used for my brother and me.

@DrSpartacular I saw this but didn’t click on it. Good God. This woman said she had supply issues which was why she turned to this. It’s absolutely mind-boggling.

@newtlover yes, a mum and baby coffee type group. They are midwife-led so moderated by health practitioners, they don’t have guest speakers as it’s more of a share your week type deal but I do feel like I should say something to the group leader.

Over Christmas there was an ecoli outbreak which came from unpasteurised/raw milk used to make cheese

a fair few people died!

@EmmaOvary you should report her to child protection she’s endangering her baby. Not just mention to the group leader. That is insane.

It's quite alarming.

Raw milk, raw liver, and typos in recipes.

@DrSpartacular just saw this too! ‘Oops, actually we gave you twice the quantity you needed, ignore that. Oh and trust us over science.’

I’ve just messaged the group leader. I have no way of knowing this woman’s full name for a safeguarding referral. No problem with making one.

Yeah, I really don't think you can ignore this.