@ghasley "Regarding formula, where did the vikings get their formula? What on earth did babies consume prior to Similac(sp?)."
Used to be the death rate among newborns in centuries past was extremely high, up to 50% or so. That is one of the factors that made the overall average lifespan for populations so short in earlier times. There have always been some women who cannot breastfeed effectively, or at all, and milk from other animals is not a sufficient replacement. Formula has been a godsend for these infants, along with other medical advances this past century.