You can't argue with taste
ne
day, 4 or 5 months later [after receiving a sample of hypoallergenic
powdered milk manufactured by a renowned multinational company],
our baby boy signalled hunger, while his mother was absent. I
decided - pediatric divinities forgive (he was despite everything,
uniquely breastfed) - to give him a bottle with this product.
A painful grimace ensued, followed by the expulsion of the drops
ingested and the resumption of his protest. There was no doubt.
(The formula was not beyond its expiry date; it had been properly
stored and meticulously prepared according to the instructions
given, and its temperature was optimal.) I tried the beverage
myself and sympathised fully: it was appalling. My wife returned,
breastfed the hungry baby (who angrily refused the potion), and
after sampling it herself, joined our unanimous opinion about
the beverage: 'breast must taste better.'
"In those autumn evenings, a stray cat used to come to
our door after dinner and eat left-overs or drink a cup of (cow's)
milk we would give him. That evening we gave him the infant formula.
He smelled it, and licked it once or twice. He then looked at
us through the glass door and left. He never returned."
--The Lancet 349:1334, 1997 |