All mammalian infants depend on one primary type of food throughout man's history in their early stages of development from birth; Milk. The mother's milk, to be precise.
All mammalian infants, regardless of the species, depend on this nutrition source in the earliest stages of their lives.
The human baby is a prime example of this. No human baby can take any form of food except milk within the first 3-6 months of their birth. This can be the milk from the breast of the mother or formulas that have been explicitly designed for infants at that stage of growth and development.
But, this wasn't the case some 200 years ago. Human babies under 12 months survived predominantly on the mother's breast milk and water. Between the early and mid 18th century, mothers found themselves unable to keep up with the long-term breastfeeding tradition. Working mothers didn't have time for their children and then there were the unfortunate mothers who die during childbirth. There was a need for a substitute for the original breast milk.
Some wet nurses helped mothers to breastfeed their children. But the risks were too significant. The babies got breast milk, but they stood the risk of contracting contagious diseases from wet nurses. So there was still a need for a safer alternative
Regular milk will not do for infants under 12 months old. There was a need for something with the same level of nourishment as human breast milk. So in 1865, German scientist Justus von Liebig developed the first baby formula. It was initially called Justus Von Liebig soup for infants. Its ingredients were cow's milk, malt flour, wheat, and potassium bicarbonate.
Before this ground-breaking invention, glass nursing bottles had already been invented in 1841. This made it easier to administer the baby formula that was developed by Justus Von Liebig. The invention gained widespread popularity in a short time, as more mothers began adopting it as a substitute food for their infants.
The development of evaporated milk in 1883 further enhanced the creation and distribution of baby formulas. Evaporated milk can be stored and transported without spoiling. The sterilizing and preserving milk enabled more baby food brands to emerge in the late 18th century.
Today, new parents looking to get formulas for their babies may have a bit of a hard time picking the right one. Just walking down the baby formula aisle can be overwhelming for new parents. Formulas have come a long way since it's development in the 1800s. Having so many brands and options to choose from is undoubtedly a good thing, but it can be tricky too.
We have created a selection of baby formulas and other baby foods that you can easily pick from for your baby to help you with that. We know which products are right for your babies, and we'll help you pick them out. We provide the best possible nutrition for your child.