r/FormulaFeeders • u/taicritde • Apr 30 '26
Support Needed / Guilt Related 🧸 Y’all I can’t make this up…
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u/PermanentTrainDamage Apr 30 '26
If formula caused autism then just about every child would have it. More kids drink formula than are vaccinated lol.
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u/SpicyKetchup_1 Apr 30 '26
I’m mostly concerned the person who posted this is responsible for a child.
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u/magicinthetrees Apr 30 '26
Yes! As we all know formula aka vitamins, nutrients, healthy fats and lactose…cause autism. 🤪 Congrats for cracking that code! /s
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u/FluffyBat16 Apr 30 '26
Actually, drinking formula might cause your kids magical gene to activate and then they get a hogwarts letter
Since we're making sh*t up....
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u/InspiredBagel May 01 '26
Hey, I was formula fed. Where's my damn letter? I've been waiting since the '90s!
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u/Altruistic-Sand3277 May 01 '26
Oh shit I was breastfed and didn't get any letter is this why!?!? Gotta call my mom right now 😡😤
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u/RecordLegume Apr 30 '26
TBH why is everyone so petrified of autism like it’s some sort of disease? I feel like it’s one of the only disabilities that people hyper-fixate on. No one asks if formula causes Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or anything else. I don’t get it. One is born with autism just like one would be born with down syndrome.
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u/thezanartist May 01 '26
Yet, they’ll not vax because those diseases are nothing to be afraid of 🙄 I’d take autism over being dead just like I’d rather a fed, full belly from formula than a baby who is underfed/ starving. I have no patience for these people anymore!
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u/RecordLegume May 01 '26
I’ve said I’d always, always choose my child having autism vs dying from something like the measles.
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u/Ok_Order1333 May 01 '26
I think because it’s one where we can’t yet pinpoint the actual cause, like we know that a triplicate 21st chromosome causes Down syndrome, etc. The unknown is always a hotbed of conspiracy especially in vulnerable populations seeking info in high-stakes situations, like new parents.
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u/ohsnowy May 01 '26
I work in special education (high school) and therefore I work with a number of students with autism. I don't get it either. Most of the autistic kids I've worked with are incredible people with a wicked sense of humor.
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u/Zirofax May 01 '26
It’s so wild. There are plenty of super high functioning people with Autism too.
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u/imwearingredsocks May 01 '26
I’m not defending the incredibly dumb behavior by people, but my guess is the fear surrounds non-verbal autism.
Which is a valid fear to have. People do fear Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy, but like another person suggested, we know more about the science behind them.
I personally worry about anything that could come up and make my child’s life more difficult or more dangerous. Fortunately a lot of things could be weeded out via genetic testing, but not all. To an extent it can be normal to worry. Just people take it to a hateful and obsessive level.2
u/herewhenineedit May 04 '26
Thank you for this kind and measured response. I’m an autistic woman who would love to have kids. I do worry that autism will make my children’s lives more difficult, like it did for me. But there are two things that really helped. The first thing was educating myself on things like AAC devices that make it easier for nonverbal autistic people to communicate. The second (and more important thing imo) would be understanding that the most important thing is the happiness of the child, and that disabled people are capable of a lot more than what broader society thinks they are. A lot of people have conceptions of what a “normal life” is, and they’re devastated at the thought of their child not living up to it. But like… so what? If they like their life isn’t that good enough? Isn’t the joy more important than how they experience it? And lots of disabled people do do “normal things*! This isn’t fully directed at you, I thought it would be nice to leave a message for the parents reading.
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u/Parking-Estate-9414 May 01 '26
I obviously think this post is ridiculous. But to answer, Down syndrome is ruled out in utero and autism cannot be rule out in utero it’s a wait and see
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 Apr 30 '26
I blame the mass disinformation of formula on the “breast is best” myth and lactivists that shove the nonexistent benefits down everyone’s throat.
Like we’ve departed so far from reality, it’s just blatant bullshit anyone with 2 brain cells could identify as such.
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u/MMTardis Apr 30 '26
I think breastfeeding has benefits, but not enough benefits to demonize formula useage. And those benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks for many people.
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
Breastfeeding has benefits but so does formula feeding! People always talk about the mild passive immunity effects of breastmilk but they ignore things like the shared burden of feeding between two parents reducing maternal sleep deprivation, increasing secondary parental bonding, and improving growth rates in underweight babies that formula feeding affords parents and babies.
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 May 01 '26
This! The sleep is major. My wife and I each got 6 hour stretches because we did shifts when our girl was a newborn. And she started sleeping through the night at 2.5 months old. The fact that vitamin d supplements are not needed for formula fed babies and the presence of iron for anemic babies is so rarely even acknowledged as such a huge benefit of formula. But people will bend over backwards on immunity benefits that largely get digested and merely coat surfaces (as opposed to providing actual immune responses).
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u/Ok_Order1333 May 01 '26
yes, seriously! at least with formula, we know baby is getting complete nutrition and not being underfed, either. I think it’s weird people just disregard that
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u/Famous_Variation4729 May 01 '26
I was feeling overwhelmed when my baby started solids with the need to feed iron rich foods. SO relieved when my pediatrician told me baby doesnt need any special iron focused foods!
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
I’m in Canada and so we do still need to add vit d lol but just one drop a day. Also my kids apparently hate sleep so it took my first until two to sleep through the night, and my now 9 month old is still up once😭 I’m sure it would have been more though if not for formula feeding! People do like to forget that babies will develop immunity in a bunch of other ways as well, breastmilk is just one potential way to do a little bit. It’s not needed though, there are no differences in outcomes!
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u/Traditional-Dingo965 May 01 '26
I'm in Canada too (QC), but was told only to add vitamin D if breastfeeding!
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
I’ve had two in MB and was told both times to do one drop of vit d per day with formula!
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u/Responsible_Side3074 May 04 '26
Breastfed babies don't get anemia at all, or have nominal risk of it, until after 6 months of age (which is when they should be eating iron-rich meats, anthropologically). Just FYI!
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May 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 May 04 '26
I said anemic babies like babies that are born anemic. My preemie was born anemic and didn’t have good iron stores to begin with. She was born at 33 weeks. If I had believed the “breast is best” lie, she would’ve suffered. Since we did formula, she had guaranteed iron that was able to help her thrive.
And the general likelihood of iron deficiency is higher with breastfed babies because it’s significantly harder to get a 6 month old to get their daily iron intake in solids than it is when it’s guaranteed in their formula. I’ve seen numerous moms in my mom groups stressing about iron rich foods and how their baby won’t eat enough iron solids.
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u/Responsible_Side3074 May 04 '26
Over 15% of formula-fed infants still have low iron absorption. Comparatively, 3-4% of breastfed infants develop iron deficiency by 4 months of age (that's what the vitamin D drops are for!). Our babies don't get enough direct sunlight in modern society -- vitamin D is what's lacking, as it's the facilitator of iron absorption.
What you're describing is purely anecdotal, not research-based. Studies suggest that 14% to >36% of formula-fed infants may experience iron deficiency or anemia, often linked to early introduction of cow's milk, premature birth, or low birth weight.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15960216/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11737242/1
u/Ripe-Tomat0 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
I brought up my personal experience with my daughter because that’s the most important example for me since I actually went through it with her healthcare team, not a google article. My 33 weeker was literally diagnosed anemic in the NICU so breastmilk that lacks iron was not recommended. That’s per her neonatologist. I’m so glad I could give my baby what was best- formula.
I never said formula fed babies are immune to iron deficiency I said breastfed babies are a higher risk. Bringing up babies that are given cows milk early is comparing apples to oranges, I’m talking about EFF babies and EBF babies. EBF babies are higher risk point blank when looking at just the two feeding types. Our pediatrician told us breastfed babies at 1 year are more commonly iron deficient when we did our daughters 9 month iron blood test and she was no longer anemic. But here’s some research that backs the other two medical professionals I’ve mentioned.
https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(20)31493-1/fulltext31493-1/fulltext)
“Though these investigators also looked at the formula-fed infants in the FITS survey, they concluded, as did the American Academy of Pediatrics131493-1/fulltext#) and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee,231493-1/fulltext#) that infants fed formula (iron content 10-12 mg/L) but no breast milk, are at much less risk for significant iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.”“Median iron intake in breastfed infants 6-12 months of age was only 3.3 mg per day, with 81.5 % of the infants having an intake of less than the EAR of 6.9 mg per day. “
I see you are active in breastfeeding subs so I’m not engaging further as clearly you have a huge bias to push the lactivist agenda. I’ll continue to take the advice of medical professionals that affirm reality- breastmilk lacks iron and leads to iron deficiency more than formula (common sense could’ve told you that though 😉)
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u/Responsible_Side3074 May 04 '26
Yes, it is well-established that iron-fortified formula contains a higher concentration of iron compared to breast milk, providing a higher total intake. However, the iron in breast milk is far more bioavailable, with an absorption rate (~50%) much higher than that from formula (2–10%). Therefore, while formula-fed babies get more iron, they do not necessarily absorb more. [1, 2, 331370-6/fulltext)]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11597703/#:\~:text=3.5.&text=Iron%20in%20breast%20milk%20is,not%20hemoglobin%20iron%20%5B36%5D.Familiarize yourself with the National Institute of Health...it's concerning that you just called it some "google site".
Again, formula fed babies get iron deficiency anemia at extremely high rates. This is more about lack of vitamin D in modern society than anything. Vitamin D is what facilitates iron absorption. Babies are (I know not in your case) born with all the iron stores they need for 4-6 months, which is when meat is anthropologically introduced.
And not that it's any of your business, but I had to formula feed because my baby was in the NICU.
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u/Tough_Bedroom_2 May 01 '26
breastfeeding mothers actually get more sleep on average, and the immunity effects are definitely not mild. my baby never got sick till we started formula, and lost weight when we started formula. i agree formula feeding is great in other aspects like u mentioned but so does breastfeeding tbh
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
Breastfeeding mothers can’t get more sleep than if they share feeding with their partner. That doesn’t make any sense. And the immunity effects are statistically mild. There is very little difference in how often a child gets sick when they’re breastfeed vs formula fed vs combo fed, nor in how severely they get sick. My first didn’t get sick much at all but my second does, probably because she has more interaction with germs.
Breastfeeding does have pros, I didn’t say it doesn’t. I said the breastfeeding pros are always highlighted and formula feeding isn’t, so I highlighted some formula feeding pros.
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u/Tough_Bedroom_2 May 01 '26
https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3927438/
breastfeeding mothers do get more sleep actually. u dont have to get up and make bottles and fully wake urself up, even if your partner takes a feed u still wake up because thats ur biological response as a mom, to wake up when babys in distress.
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Two of those sources you linked are neither reputable, unbiased, nor a study. The study you did link was of a total study size of less than 150 participants, only showed a marked increase in in sleep in EBF mothers in the first month postpartum, and acknowledged that the results may be skewed because they tracked sleep through a wrist monitor, which would show more sleep to the person moving less.
Edit: also the study corrects for shared feeding, meaning they’re only accounting for moms who do all the night time feedings, which completely ignores my entire point that formula feeding gets parents more sleep because feeding can be shared.
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u/Tough_Bedroom_2 May 01 '26
even if they were literally just think about it, what easier whipping out ur boob or getting out of bed to make a bottle bffr
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u/mirk19 May 01 '26
I don’t get out of bed to make bottles. I have a system on my night stand lol and as someone in the trenches I wish breastfeeding was as simple as just bringing baby to the breast but as many people in this sub can attest it sometimes requires a whole production like getting the proper position, a nursing pillow, nipple shields, many attempts at latching, etc. Anecdotally, it takes me less time to prepare a bottle and pop it in my babies mouth than if I tried breastfeeding at night. Not everyone can just magically pop their baby on their boob and “dream feed”
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u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
It’s a lot easier to get out of bed and make a bottle when you do it once a night vs a dozen times taking your boob out. You also still have to get out of bed to feed (unless you’re co sleeping). I’m not here to argue about which is better. Fed is best. I wanted to highlight some positives of formula feeding because breastfeeding often gets all the highlights.
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 May 01 '26
Formula feeding allows both partners and even other relatives to share the task of feeding. My wife and I each got 6 hour stretches of sleep for the newborn phase. My mom even fed her overnight a couple times to let us sleep in. If it was breastfeeding it would’ve fallen all on me. My daughter has slept through the night since 2-3 months because she has had a full volume feed in her bottles versus many breasted babies more so snack and require frequent feedings (plus they start associating with comfort and require feeds just to sleep). And you mention how easy it is to “whip out a boob”- it’s even easier to let family members help out or sleep through the night at 2-3 months without worrying about a baby in your bed at all. Totally anecdotal but all the moms in my mom groups who are still struggling with sleep 10 months in are breastfeeding co sleeping moms.
My 10 month old EFF has never been sick. I was formula fed and never got sick as a kid (except a couple cases of strep in elementary). Most failure to thrive babies are actually breastfed, the occasions where it’s formula fed babies is often due to underlying issues. A lot of babies with growth issues NEED formula for fortification or to monitor intake. I was a NICU mom where growth was a huge topic of discussion.
It sounds like you’re just repeating talking points out of thin air with some wack sources. That’s all🤷♀️ I think the other commenter handled everything else debunking you. I see you’re active in breastfeeding sub so it makes sense you would be so defensive and incorrect. The propaganda is strong!
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
Yes, so much research that accounts for SES and maternal factors has shown the benefits are more aligned with other factors and very much overstated. A sibling study showed it made no difference in 15/16 tested areas, another study showed it made no difference in long term cognitive outcomes, the WHO found when looking at the WHO identified high quality studies only- no effect on cholesterol, <1 mmHg in systolic BP difference, the only 2 high quality studies show conflicting on diabetes, a 12% obesity reduction in BF however SES is noted as a potential factor, a minor 2.2 IQ difference in BF.
To me those benefits are so small I would say they’re more likely to chance, margin of error, coincidence, and research bias that I considered it pretty much nonexistent. Plus as you said not worth the ridiculous drawbacks it causes so many women. Not to mention breastmilk lacks vitamin D (hello rickets) and adequate iron. For my anemic preemie daughter formula was 100% more beneficial.
ETA: sorry for typos, I’m writing this carrying around my gigantic 10 month old Velcro baby🤦🏻♀️😂
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u/MMTardis Apr 30 '26
Anecdotally, my exclusively breastfed baby is the one who developed type 1 diabetes.
I like to share that when people bring up breastfed babies are less likely to get diabetes... cuz mine did.
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 Apr 30 '26
Also anecdotally, this happened with my friends daughter as well! She was EBF too.
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u/FalseRow5812 May 01 '26
T1D is not caused by diet. These studies are T2D later in lide
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u/MMTardis May 01 '26
I know that; its an autoimmune disorder. But they akways say diabetes in general can be prevented by breastfeeding, not type 2 diabetes specifically.
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u/FalseRow5812 May 01 '26
There is no high quality evidence that suggests breastfed babies are at lower risk of T2D. T1D is autoimmune and typically genetic, what kind of milk a baby is fed will have no impact
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u/Amazing-Neighborhood May 01 '26
I was on a breastfeeding group where multiple different people over time asked for donor breast milk from donors who were unvaccinated. Each time I just shook my head at the idea that someone so stupid was responsible for raising a child
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u/Huge_Sheepherder396 May 01 '26
Unfortunately, people always look for reasons to blame something for autism. It’s easier to do that than accept it’s something in the genetic makeup.
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u/ntmg Apr 30 '26
It seems counterintuitive that autism rates would rise at the same time that breastfeeding has been so strongly encouraged. Hmm, maybe breastfeeding causes autism? That would actually track
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u/you_so_preshus_ May 01 '26
guys... do you think Steve who lives three houses down causes autism?
I'm getting suspicious of him.
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u/NGuglielmo94 May 01 '26
My 4 year old daughter didn’t have a single drop of formula and she’s level 2 autistic so… 😂
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u/Ibrakeforsnakes May 01 '26
I mean, you can’t be diagnosed with autism if you starved to death as a newborn, so kinda? 🤷♀️
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u/ExtraEnd7545 May 01 '26
"We don't know what's in it"
Yes we do. It's on the side of the can.
"Well if it doesn't then why is there more autism"
Autism is better understood and less stigmatized, so doctors are more capable of diagnosing it and people are more willing to share that diagnosis. Correlation is not causation, you have to consider more factors than just "these things both happen at the same time".
"I'm just asking questions"
And you're getting answers, you just don't like them because they don't support with your bias.
"Well I don't care what you say"
Alright don't, but also don't treat your opinion as fact.
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u/aimestest May 01 '26
Well that explains everything... I'm autistic and was vaccinated and given formula from about 3 months. And my daughter had colostrum and then my milk never came in and she has all her vaccinations so I guess she will be too. Don't worry I'm just being sarcastic humour is how I deal with stupidity haha.
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u/Nova-star561519 May 02 '26
LMAO. Please repost this in r/shitmomgroupssay
These people will literally come up with the dumbest "causes" for autism. I was exclusively breastfed till I was almost 2 years old and I'm autistic and have ADHD along with other mental health issues.
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u/RhinoKart May 02 '26
I mean in the sense that formula keeps babies alive, and some of those babies will end up having autism...
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u/Secure-Resort2221 May 01 '26
Autistic scientists with a special interest in infant nutrition probably helped improve formulas and make them even better for babies so maybe autistics cause formula (I make this same jokes about autism causing vaccines)
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u/DogOrDonut May 01 '26
It isn't the formula but the water you mix it with. I'm autistic and I can confirm that 100% of the autistic people I know have all drank water at some point in our lives.
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u/Ibrakeforsnakes May 01 '26
Can confirm! All the autistic people I know also drink water. Wake up people! 🤣
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u/Latter-Anxiety8728 CMPA NUTRAGEIUM baby & tube FF 5 y/o May 01 '26
Redonkulous. I just got shamed somewhere else because... TOPIC- WHAT IS NURSERY WATER ME - DISTILLED WITH FLOURIDE LADY - "I wouldn't know i EBF" Me thats nice I quit due to CMPA, it was too hard to quit dairy and soy
Her I quit SOY and dairy 😇😇[Me too syndrome- this is highly unlikely, as it was not a CMPA forum**
Me - Oh im such an awful mother 🙄My BFF is EBF and doesnt casually mentioning this at every chance really though, nor shaming anyone. It works for her, anyways here is some trophies lady 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
end
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u/breadbaths May 01 '26
people just made shit up in the mind omg. guysssss does drinking water cause autism?????!!! every person w autism has drank water soo???
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u/pink_camouflage23 May 01 '26
Im just curious, was this on a FB mom group or as someone you knows status?
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u/s8nsloser May 01 '26
😂 told my partner I think I wanna do formula again for the next baby and he said no it’ll make him small😂😂 Crazy how people think formula is not good for baby?
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u/AshPash4593 May 01 '26
If you formula feed AND vaccinate you better watch out, that causes super autism.
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u/whatsername25 May 01 '26
I’ll hold my hand up and admit I considered this coz only two of my niblings were breastfed and they’re the only ones out of five who haven’t been diagnosed with autism. Sorry, I’m a first time mother so I’ve imagined every worse case scenario.
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u/meowpitbullmeow May 01 '26
My son had to use formula because of his autism. Sensory issues in the newborn stage prevented breastfeeding
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May 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/FalseRow5812 May 01 '26
You are so incredibly uninformed. Please cite some evidence to back this claim up. Oh, wait, you won't find it!
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May 01 '26
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u/FalseRow5812 May 01 '26
😂 ok buddy. Just keep talking. You're making yourself sound so incredibly dumb. Please provide sources for your claims. Otherwise you're just spewing misinformation and buzz words. I pray your children receive a better education and better critical thinking skills than yourself
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u/FormulaFeeders-ModTeam May 01 '26
Clearly inflammatory posts/comments regarding shaming formula are not allowed.
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u/sparkleweedthewizard EFF December '25 Baby May 01 '26
Ask a preschool teacher which of their students were breastfed.
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May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ripe-Tomat0 May 04 '26
Lactivist found. Please stop peddling lies and get off our sub with the propaganda and formula shaming. “Breastmilk is infinitely better for babies long term than formula” goodbye.
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u/lilmustard8 May 01 '26
My baby is formula fed but I can’t deny the correlation https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1578554/ and there’s other studies like this one. That being said it’s not a causation.
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u/aliensuperstar177 Apr 30 '26
Oh my god people are so dumb