Healthy living starts with good nutrition whose origins lie in the prenatal womb environment. A healthy woman who eats a balanced diet will most likely give birth to a healthy baby. The continuing health, growth, and development of the baby will depend initially on its nutrition from caregivers. It is natural that the nutrition should be given by the mother by breastfeeding, as during pregnancy she was already prepared physiologically to produce human milk after the birth. Like all mammals, human babies thrive best on human milk, specifically produced for our species.

However, with technological progress and industrialization, we now have artificial formula milk being produced from different species of mammals and plants. These products aggressive advertising gives the impression that they are superior to human milk. For years, cigarette smoking appeared to be harmless to individuals and society until more and more associated health problems were identified. Similarly, it is now recognized that more and more babies having artificial milk are prone to more allergies, stomach upsets, skin conditions such as eczema, asthma, juvenile diabetes mellitus and other coughs and common colds and upper respiratory infections. The health care system in Hong Kong has enabled the health of Hong Kong children to match world figures in terms of low mortality, while little is said about morbidity figures. Mothers who use formula milk may have forgotten the number of times they have to take their babies to see the doctor for these minor illnesses.

More than 300 ingredients have been identified in human milk, while artificial formula has only about 30 ingredients, with more gradually being added each year. Other very important ingredients lacking in artificial formula are human antibodies that can defend the baby against common infections and certain diseases, and help give breastfed babies a higher IQ than artificially fed babies. Human milk protein is 100% digestible to infants, while only 50% of the cow's milk protein is digested. Other benefits of breastfeeding are due to the way the baby suckles, which can reduce ear infections, enhance formation of teeth and promote more stable emotional development because of increased infant and maternal bonding. Also, the OMEGA-3 or long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in large quantities in breastmilk and promote brain growth.

The World Health Organization promotes exclusive breastfeeding, in which no other food or beverage is fed to the infant, for a minimum of six months, in order to establish a firm foundation for health. After six months, breastfeeding is encouraged to be continued for up to two years, with the addition of nutritionally adequate complementary foods. This has also been well supported by UNICEF worldwide to encourage the healthiest and most economic way of feeding babies.

In Hong Kong, few mothers follow these recommendations or are aware of them. Hong Kong allows much advertising of artificial formula milks. As a result, we unfortunately have a 'bottle-feeding culture', and one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Even Chek Lap Kok airport dons its baby's changing room with a bottle sign for directions! For many years now, artificial feeding is seen to be the best rescue for women returning to work, and babies appear to thrive to be fat and chubby looking. But actually the Hong Kong women do not always have the correct information to make informed choices.