When was similac invented

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Figure 9 presents data on the percentage of formula-fed infants receiving iron-fortified formulas at various ages in , and I have been unsuccessful in obtaining data for or , but there is little question that the percentage of infants fed iron-fortified formulas was quite high in the last few years of the 20th century. Much of the increase in number of infants fed iron-fortified formulas from to can be accounted for by the increased enrollment in WIC, because it is evident that many of these infants would otherwise have been fed cow's milk.

In , the Committee on Nutrition published a forthright recommendation that all nonbreast-fed infants be fed iron-fortified formulas until 12 mo of age, and this statement probably exerted a major influence on pediatricians caring for infants not enrolled in WIC. Infants fed iron-fortified formulas as percentage of formula-fed infants in , and Data for and based on personal communication from Martinez, G.

Beginning about , use of concentrated liquid formulas declined, whereas use of powdered and ready-to-feed formulas increased Fig. By the early s, the physical properties of formula powders had been improved to the extent that they were much more readily suspended in water.

The increased use of powdered formulas after coincided with the increase in breast-feeding. Powdered formulas are commonly used to make up an occasional formula feeding for breast-fed infants and many mothers may have continued to use powdered formulas after cessation of breast-feeding.

The trend away from early introduction of cow's milk was steady and impressive from through Fig. As already mentioned, the resurgence of breast-feeding that began in was associated with deferment of the age of introduction of cow's milk. Initially, it seemed that the change was probably more related to inclinations of parents rather than a reflection of recommendations by pediatricians. My speculation is that a mother who elected to breast-feed her infant initially was convinced that it would be better to feed formula than cow's milk when she discontinued breast-feeding.

The explosion of information about components of human milk and about the many probable nutritional and nonnutritional benefits of breast-feeding accelerated in the s. As summarized elsewhere Fomon et al. Moreover, as already mentioned, the iron of infant cereals was believed to be able to meet the infant's needs. Thus, it was generally recommended Committee on Nutrition b , Fomon et al. Although one might have inferred from several reports Berenberg et al.

In the s and early s, a number of physicians recommended the feeding of skim milk to infants beginning at 4—6 mo of age, presumably motivated by the desire to treat real or imagined obesity or to prevent development of obesity or atherosclerosis Fomon We carried out a study Fomon et al.

Most impressive was the loss of skinfold thickness, suggesting that the infants were using body fat stores to make up for the energy deficit of the diet. We speculated that persistence with such a diet was likely to be seriously detrimental to the infants. The Maternal and Child Health Service distributed reprints of our report widely to child health clinics but whether this had any effect on the practice is difficult to determine. In any case, with the increase in breast-feeding and associated changes in attitude toward infant feeding in the s, the practice of feeding milk with decreased fat content became uncommon.

In , we found evidence that fresh pasteurized cow's milk provoked blood loss in apparently normal infants Fomon et al. Actually, provocation of gastrointestinal blood loss may not be as important in the development of iron deficiency in infants fed fresh cow's milk as is the presence in cow's milk of large amounts of bovine proteins and calcium, which are known to be potent inhibitors of nonheme iron absorption Cook et al. As early as , a question had been raised about the bioavailability of electrolytic iron powder of intermediate particle size Elwood et al.

In the early s, most infants in the United States were fed beikost by 6 wk of age Brown and Hughes , Fomon , Jerome et al. The increase in breast-feeding during the s and early s in the United States was accompanied by a somewhat later introduction of beikost. Beikost was introduced into the diet later for breast-fed than for formula-fed infants Fomon , Sarrett et al. Infant cereal is generally the first beikost item offered to infants, and the age at which it is introduced is therefore an indication of the age of introduction of beikost.

Changes in the age of introduction of cereal from to are shown in Figure 10 , which is based on a survey carried out from to Sarrett et al. The unpublished data also include age of introduction of cereal in , and these values are remarkably similar to those for Thus, by the end of the century, fewer infants were being fed beikost at 1—2 mo of age than had been the case in the mid s, but even at the end of the century, most infants were being fed beikost before 4 mo of age.

Age of introduction of infant cereal in , based on Sarrett et al. An unfortunate development in infant feeding in the last 20 y has been the increase in use of fruit juices. Sales of juices increased from 9. As a source of nutrients, juices provide primarily simple carbohydrates. Because human milk and infant formulas are rich in ascorbic acid, feeding of fruit juices cannot be justified on the basis of their contribution of ascorbic acid.

Adverse reactions to consumption of juices appear to be common Bock and regular consumption of juices by infants with erupted teeth may contribute to development of dental caries, a threat that is exaggerated because juices are marketed in bottles that accept a nipple assembly.

In , my colleagues and I speculated that early introduction of beikost might contribute to establishing habits of overeating Fomon et al. The argument may be summarized as follows: Among the more important goals of nutritional management during infancy is the establishment of sound eating habits, including the habit of eating in moderation.

Establishment of such habits may require that the infant be encouraged to discontinue eating at the earliest sign of willingness to do so. The infant's willingness to discontinue eating can be readily detected by an alert individual who is feeding the infant by breast or bottle and can also be readily detected during feeding by spoon, but only after the infant is able to sit with support and has fairly good control of head and neck muscles.

In the s and s, quite a number of reports were published on nutritional imprinting in rodents, and there was speculation that malnutrition per se, rather than the circumstances leading to and following it, might be the basis for subsequent cognitive impairment Fomon In the s and thereafter, an association was established between iron-deficiency anemia during the first few years of life and delayed cognitive development de Andraca et al.

Nevertheless, interest in later consequences of malnutrition and iron-deficiency anemia undoubtedly stimulated interest in the field of nutritional imprinting during early life. During the last 20 y of the 20th century, there was lively debate about the possible advantages of adding to infant formulas various substances found in human milk because of their possible effects on various aspects of development. Prominent among these debates have been the possibility that dietary intake of nucleotides might affect aspects of infant development Raiten et al.

Recent advances in these areas are likely to serve as prologue to developments in infant nutrition and feeding in the 21st century. Abt , I. Abt-Garrison History of Pediatrics : — W. Saunders Philadelphia, PA. Google Scholar. Google Preview. Adams , S. Andelman , M. Anderson , T. Ballabriga , A. Rey , J. Weaning: Why, What, and When? Bain , K. Pediatrics 2 : — Beal , V.

Pediatrics 20 : — Berenberg , W. Pediatrics 44 : — Bock , S. Pediatrics 79 : — Bracken , F. Brennemann , J. Brown , M. Infant and childhood feeding practices among low-income families in urban Hawaii.

Fomon , S. Bruck , E. Butler , A. Colle , E. Pediatrics 22 : 5 — Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics Water requirement in relation to osmolar load as it applies to infant feeding. Pediatrics 19 : — Pediatrics 29 : — Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics Prepared infant formulas and commercial formula services.

Pediatrics 36 : — Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics Proposed changes in food and drug administration regulations concerning formula products and vitamin-mineral dietary supplements for infants.

Pediatrics 40 : — Pediatrics 47 : Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics a Commentary on breast-feeding and infant formulas, including proposed standards for formulas.

Pediatrics 57 : — Pediatrics 58 : — Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics On the feeding of supplemental foods to infants. Pediatrics 65 : — Pediatrics 89 : — Cook , J. Cooke , R. Yale J. Council on Foods a The nutritional significance of the curd tension of milk.

Council on Foods b Strained fruits and vegetables in the feeding of infants. Darrow , D. Pediatrics 14 : — Dauncey , M. Elwood , P. Epps , R. Pediatrics 18 : Filer , L. Infant Nutrition : — W. Infant Nutrition 2nd ed. Pediatrics 56 : — Nutrition of Normal Infants W. Saunders St. Louis, MO. Pediatrics 63 : 52 — Acta Paediatr. Food and Drug Administration Rules and regulations.

Label statements concerning dietary properties of food purporting to be or represented for specific dietary uses. Nutrient requirements for infant formulas. Forbes , G. Woodruff , C. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook 2nd ed. Forsyth , D. Friedenwald , J. Diet and Health in Disease : — W. Funk , C. State Med. A scientist named Alfred Bosworth had created an infant formula with a milk base. Moores and Ross began producing and selling this new formula, which the two men originally called "Franklin Infant Food.

The restructured business focused on infant formula. Rather than solely focusing its attention on the consumer, the company's advertising also targeted medical doctors. Although company spokesmen acknowledged that breast milk was best for babies, they argued that Similac could provide a healthy alternative if breast milk was not available. Perhaps the greatest achievement of nutrition research over the past several decades has been the introduction of specialty formulas and human milk modifiers used to feed premature and very low-birthweight infants.

For term and near-term infants, formula manufacturers have continued to improve their "standard" formulas to more closely resemble breast milk. Both Mead Johnson's and Ross's formulas contain added nucleotides in amounts similar to those in breast milk, and this year both companies have introduced formulas that contain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Over the past few years, these two companies also have begun marketing "niche" formulas, including lactose-free formulas both companies , a soy formula with dietary fiber to hasten recovery from gastroenteritis Ross , and a formula with rice starch for babies with reflux Mead Johnson.

Today's young infants are the beneficiaries of a long and complicated history of infant formula. While we continue to encourage mothers to breastfeed their infants, babies who are fed formula from birth or are weaned to formula from breast milk receive the best nutrition medical science has to offer. The author thanks Virginia A. Mason for her assistance in preparing the manuscript of this article.

Philadelphia, BC Decker, Madison, Wis. Marriot WM, Schoenthal L: An experimental study of the use of unsweetened evaporated milk for the preparation of infant feeding formulas. Arch Pediatr ; American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition: Proposed changes in food and drug administration regulations concerning formula products and vitamin-mineral dietary supplements for infants.

Pediatrics ; Answer: b. Answer: c. According to the Ross Mothers' Survey, Answer: a. Powder is the most economical formula preparation. Infants with diarrhea are often given Pedialyte Ross before they resume regular formula. When was Pedialyte introduced? Supermarkets b. Pharmacies c. Mass merchandisers Walmart, Costco, etc. Gerber introduced its own brand of infant formula in that vanished from store shelves in Who manufactured Gerber's formula? According to USDA data, which brand of milk-based powder is the most expensive?

PBM Parents' Choice b. Similac c. Similac Ross. Prosobee b. Prosobee Mead Johnson. Its first chairman was Charles D. Its charge was as follows:. The Committee on Nutrition initially published educational reports; it did not begin publishing policy statements until the mids.

The committee provided invaluable assistance to the Food and Drug Administration FDA by defining nutritional requirements for infant formulas. Its recommendations for levels of nutrientsin infant formula was used by the FDA to createthe regulation establishing the minimum requirements for fat, protein, linoleic acid, and17 vitamins and minerals in formula.