The nurse is teaching an early-parenting class to families expecting their first child soon. A patient asks the nurse if breast milk is really better than formula. The best response by the nurse is:

Question

1. "Breast milk is the perfect food for human babies.
2. "Formula attempts to imitate the composition of breast milk. "
3. "Breastfed babies grow faster because of breast milk."
4. "Formula is harder to digest than is breast milk."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: Although this statement is true, it is somewhat vague because it does not describe the nutritional composition of breast milk. In addition, this response is emotionally laden and judgmental of the use of formula, and therefore not therapeutic.
Rationale 2: This statement best answers the question about whether breast milk or formula is best. Breast milk is the "gold standard" on which formula is based. Formula attempts to provide nutrition that is similar to breast milk; however, breast milk composition is different in many ways.
Rationale 3: Although exclusively breastfed infants have the same or slightly higher weight gain than their formula-fed and mixed-fed peers in the first 3–4 months, the patient's question is not about growth; it is about whether breast milk or formula is better.
Rationale 4: The patient's question is not about digestion of formula and breast milk; the question is about which is better. It is best to answer a patient's question directly.