모유, 조제분유 또는 조제두유 수유로 인한 생후 1년 동안의 비용 산출

Cost Assessment of Feeding of Breast Milk, Casein-based or Soy-based Formula during the First Year of Life

  To assess the cost of feeding of breast milk, casein-based or soy-based formula during the first year of life, a longitudinal questionnaire survey was carried out to 51 mothers of infants living in Cheongju. The cost of formula-feeding was estimated based on the expenditures for formula and feeding apparatus, and the time needed to wash bottles and prepare formula. The cost of breast-feeding was based on the expenditures for the additional nutritional intake of these mothers. The medical expenditure for illness was estimated all of the three groups. The mean total cost for a year was ￦454,900, ￦2,662,120, and ￦2,277,220 in breast milk, casein-based formula, and soy-based formula group, respectively. The medical cost for illness in casein-based formula group was higher than those in the soy-based formula and breast milk groups. Therefore breast milk group compared to casein-based formula and soy-based formula could save ￦2,207,200 and ￦1,822,320 during the first year of an infant"s life. Analysis showed that breast milk is not only nutritional advantageous, but also economically advantageous for families and society.