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Formula feeding may increase risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Sadly, as of now, researchers have not yet discovered any one factor to account for SIDS. However, there are a number of studies showing a possible link between lack of breastfeeding and SIDS. A Swedish study has found that babies who were breastfed exclusively for less than 8 weeks had a 3 - 5 times greater risk of dying from SIDS than babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months
Horn, RS et al "Comparison of evoked arousability in breast and formula fed infants." 2004 Arch Dis Child.; 89(1):22-25
Alm et al, "Breastfeeding and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Scandanavia." June 2002 Arch of Dis in Child. 86: 400-402.
McVea, KL et al "The role of breastfeeding in sudden infant death syndrome." J Hum Lact. 2000;16:13-20
Fredrickson, DD et al., "Relationship between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Breastfeeding Intensity and Duration." Am. Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993: 147:460
Ford RPK, et al ."Breastfeeding and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." International Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993, 22(5):885-890
Taylor BJ, Mitchell EA, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Int J. Epidemiol. 1993;22:885-890
Scragg LK, Mitchell EA, Tonkin SL, et al. "Evaluation of the cot death prevention programme in South Auckland." NZ Med J. 1993;106:8-10
- Breastfeeding protects baby against diarrheal infections
Numerous studies have shown that diarrheal infections are much more common in formula-fed babies. This is true throughout the world, despite a common misconception that only people living in areas with contaminated water need be concerned with this issue. Such infections are more likely to be fatal in developing nations, but all formula-fed infants are at greater risk than their breastfed peers.
Betran et al; "Ecological Study of effect of breastfeeding on infant mortality in Latin America." Br Med J 2001; 323:1-5
Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommsen-Rivers LA. "Differences in morbidity between breast-fed and formula-fed infants." Pediatr. 1995;126:696-702
Beaudry M, Dufour R, Marcoux S. "Relation Between infant feeding and infections during the first six months of life." J Pediatr. 1995; 126:191-197
Howie PW, Forsyth JS, Ogston SA, et al. "Protective effect of breast feeding against infection." Br Med J. 1990;300:11-16
- Breastfeeding protects baby against bacterial meningitis
Meningitis is an infection which causes the inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a type of bacteria called Hemophilus influenzae type b (HiB). Breastfeeding is protective against infections caused by this bacteria, and the meningitis which may result.
Cochi SL, Fleming DW, Hightower AW, et al. "Primary invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b disease: a population-based assessment of risk factors." J Pediatr. 1986;108:997-896
Istre GR, Conner JS, Broome CV, et al. "Risk factors for primary invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease: increased risk from day care attendance and school-aged household members." J Pediatr. 1985;106:190-198
- Breastfeeding protects baby against respiratory infections
Breastfeeding effectively protects nurslings from many life-threatening respiratory infection including those caused by rotaviruses. Studies have shown breastfed babies are less than half as likely to be hospitalized with pneumonia or bronchiolitis, and have one-fifth the number of lower respiratory tract infections compared to formula-fed infants. According to a recent meta-analysis of studies from developed countries, the risk of severe respiratory tract illness resulting in hospitalization is more than tripled among infants who are not breastfed, compared with those who are exclusively breastfed for four months.
Oddy, WH et al "Breast feeding and respiratory morbidity in infancy: a birth cohort study" Archives of Disease in Childhood 2003;88:224-228
Galton Bachrach et al (2003) Breastfeeding and the Risk of Hospitalization for Respiratory Disease in Infancy" Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157:237-243
Grover M et al "Effect of human milk prostaglandins and lactoferrin on respiratory syncytial virus and rotavirus" Acta Paediatr. 1997; 86: 315-316
Cunningham, Allan S. MD "Breastfeeding, Bottle-feeding and Illness - An Annotated Bibliography", 1996.
Wright AL, Holberg CH, Taussig LM, et al. "Relationship of infant feeding to recurrent wheezing at age 6 years." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:758-763
Piscane A, et al "Breastfeeding and acute lower respiratory infections" Acta Paediatr. 1994; 83: 714-718
- Formula fed babies have a higher risk of developing certain childhood cancers
In a study done by researchers at the University of Minnesota it was found that babies who were breast fed for at least one month had a 21% less chance of getting leukemia than formula fed babies. The risk was 30% for children breast fed for 6 months.
Shu X-O, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of childhood acute leukemia". J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91: 1765-72
- Breastfeeding decreases chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis
Recent results from a Swedish study indicate that breastfed babies were less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as adults. An earlier University of North Carolina/Duke University study had indicated breastfed children were only 40% as likely to develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Jacobsson LTH et al "Perinatal Characteristics and risk of rheumatoid arthritis" BMJ 2003; 326: 1068-1069
"Mother's Milk: An Ounce of Prevention?" Arthritis Today May-June 1994
- Breastfeeding decreases child's chances of contracting Hodgkins disease
Hodgkins disease is a type of lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph system. It can develop in children, although it is less likely to do so in children who were breastfed as infants.
"An Exploratory Study of Environmental and Medical Factors Potentially Related to Childhood Cancer." Medical & Pediatric Oncology, 1991; 19(2):115-21
- Breastfeeding protects baby against some vision defects
In a study in Bangladesh, breastfeeding was a protective factor for night blindness among preschool-aged children in both rural and urban areas. Breast milk is generally the main, if not the only source, of vitamin A during a child's first 24 months of life (or for the duration of breastfeeding).
Bloem, M. et al. "The role of universal distribution of vitamin A capsules in combating vitamin A deficiency in Bangladesh.: Am J Epidemiol 1995; 142(8): 843-55
Birch E, et al. "Breastfeeding and optimal visual development." J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 1993;30:33-8
- Breastfeeding decreases chances of osteoporosis
According to many studies, both breastfeeding mothers and their children will be less at risk for development of this disease. One study found that the odds that a woman with osteoporosis did not breastfeed her baby was 4 times higher than for a control woman. In another study, Dr. Alan Lucas, MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Center of London, found that 8-year-olds who were fed formula rather than breast fed as infants, had less developed bone mineralization than those fed breast milk. "Bone mineral density decreases during lactation, but after weaning showed higher bone mineral density than those who did not breastfeed."
Kalwart HJ and Specker BL "Bone mineral loss during lactation and recovery after weaning." Obstet. Gynecol. 1995; 86:26-32
Blaauw, R. et al. "Risk factors for development of osteoporosis in a South African population." SAMJ 1994; 84:328-32
Melton LJ, Bryant SC, Wahner HW, et al. "Influence of breastfeeding and other reproductive factors on bone mass later in life." Osteoporos Int. 1993;22:684-691
Cumming RG, Klineberg RJ. "Breastfeeding and other reproductive factors and the risk of hip fractures in elderly woman." Int J Epidemiol 1993;22:684-691
- Breast milk aids in proper intestinal development
The gastrointestinal system of a newborn baby is not yet mature. It is still permeable, allowing bacteria, viruses and toxins to pass through. This intestinal permeability decreases more slowly in formula-fed babies. According to Dr. Jack Newman "...certain hormones in milk (such as cortisol) and smaller proteins (including epidermal growth factor, nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor and somatomedin C) act to close up the leaky mucosal lining of the newborn, making it relatively impermeable to unwanted pathogens and other potentially harmful agents. Indeed, animal studies have demonstrated that postnatal development of the intestine occurs faster in animals fed their mother's milk. And animals that also receive colostrum, containing the highest concentrations of epidermal growth factor, mature even more rapidly."
Newman, J, MD, FRCPC "How Breast milk Protects Newborns" http://www.promom.org/bf_info/sci_am.htm
Shulman et al "Early feeding, feeding tolerance and lactase activity in preterm infants." J Pediatr 1998; 133:645-649
Catassi et al "Intestinal permeability changes coloring the first month; effect of natural versus artificial feeding." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995; 21: 383-386
- Cow's milk is an intestinal irritant
According to Dr. William Sears, MD, cow's milk should not be given as a beverage to infants under one year of age. "Cow's milk can irritate the lining of your infant's intestines, causing tiny losses of iron. This can contribute to iron-deficiency anemia."
The Baby Book - Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two c. 1992, 2003 William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN, Little, Brown & Co.
- Formula-fed babies are more at risk for obesity in later life
A study of 32200 Scottish 3 year old children found that the incidence of obesity was significantly lower among those who had been breastfed, after adjusting for socioeconomic status, birthweight and gender. Another study, this one of Czech children, found that the even older children (6 -14) who had been breastfed were less at risk for overweight/obesity. Additionally, a German study found that 4.5% of formula fed children are obese, while only 0.8% of breastfed children have this condition
Armstrong, J et al, "Breastfeeding and lowering the risk of childhood obesity." Lancet 2002, 349: 2003-4
Toschke, A.M. et al, "Overweight and obesity in 6 to 14-year-old Czech children in 1991: protective effect of breast-feeding", J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2002 Dec; 141(6):764-9
von Kries, R et al, "Breastfeeding and obesity: cross sectional study." BMJ 1999; 319:147-150 (July 17)
- Breastfed babies have less chance of cardiopulmonary distress while feeding
Bottle-fed babies are at increased risk of cardiopulmonary disturbances, including prolonged airway closure and obstructed respiratory breaths due to repeated swallowing. According to one study, infants can experience oxygen saturation below 90% when bottle feeding. Nine of 50 healthy term infants in one study experienced bradycardia during bottle feeding. Six of these episodes were preceded by apnea, three showed hypopnea (marked reduction in ventilation) and one had certral apnea (no respiratory efforts).
Koenig HS, Davies Am, Thach BT. "Coordination of breathing, sucking and swallowing during bottle feedings in human infants." J Appl Physiol 69: 1629: 1623-1629, 1990.
Matthew O, Clark ML, Ponske MH. Apnea, bradycardia, and cyanosis during oral feeding in term neonates." J Pediatr 106:857, 1985
- Breastfed babies have less chance of developing ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes ulceration and inflammation of the inner lining of the colon and rectum. A number of studies have shown that breastfed babies are less likely to develop this disease.
Rigas A, Rigas B, Blassman M, et al. "Breast-feeding and maternal smoking in the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in childhood." Ann Epidemiol. 1993;3387-392
- Breast milk protects against hemophilus b. bacteria
Hemophilus influenzae type b is a bacteria which can grow in the respiratory tract with no symptoms, but may spread into the throat, ears or blood and cause grave illness. Breastfed babies are much less vulnerable to such an overgrowth. . Interestingly, a 1999 Swedish study found that even 5 - 10 years later, children who had been breastfed were much less likely to contract hemophilus b.
Silfverdal et al, "Protective effects of breastfeeding: an ecological study of haemophilus influenzae (HI) meningitis and breastfeeding in a Swedish population." Int J Epidem 1999; 28:152-6
Cochi SL, Fleming DW, Hightower AW, et al. "Primary invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b disease: a population-based assessment of risk factors." J Pediatr. 1986;108:997-896
Istre GR, Conner JS, Broome CV, et al. "Risk factors for primary invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease: increased risk from day care attendance and school-aged household members." J Pediatr. 1985;106:190-198
- Breastfed babies require shorter pre- and post-surgical fasting
Breastfeeding may continue until three hours before arrival time at the hospital in healthy children having elective surgery.
Schreiner, M.S. "Preoperative and Postoperative fasting in children." Ped Clinics N Amer 41 (1); 111-20 (1994)
- Breastfeeding results in less sick days for parents
Since breastfed babies are statistically healthier than their formula fed peers, the parents of breastfed babies spend less time out of work taking care of sick children.
(Kaiser Permanente: Internal research to determine benefits of sponsoring an official lactation program - 1995)
- Breastfeeding enhances vaccine effectiveness
Breastfed infants showed better serum and secretory responses to oral and parenteral vaccines than those formula-fed.
Han-Zoric, M., "Antibody responses to parenteral and oral vaccines are impaired by conventional and low protein formulas as compared to breastfeeding." Acta Paediatr Scand 1990; 79:1137-42
- Breastfed babies have less chance of developing necrotizing enterocolitis
This disease occurs most commonly in premature or sick newborns. In NEC the lining of the intestinal wall dies and sloughs off. Premature infants fed their own mother's milk or banked human milk are one sixth to one tenth as likely to develop NEC. One Australian study has estimated that 83% of NEC cases may be attributed to lack of breastfeeding.
Updegrove, K "Necrotizing Enteroclolitis: The evidence for use of human milk in prevention and treatment." J Hum Lact 2004; 20: 335-339
Drane, D. "Breastfeeding and formula feeding: a preliminary economic analysis" Breastfeed Rev 1997; 5:7-15
Convert RF, Barman N, Comanico RS, et al. "Prior enteral nutrition with human milk protects against intestinal perforation in infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis." Pediatr Res. 1995; 37:305A. Abstract
Lucas A, Cole TJ. "Breast milk and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis." Lancet. 1990; 336:519-1523
- Breastfeeding contributes to optimal child spacing
First of all, please know that it is certainly possible to get pregnant while you are still breastfeeding. However, many breastfeeding women do not ovulate for the first 6 months or so following the birth of a new baby. This is true only for those who are exclusively breastfeeding (no supplements or solid food), and have not yet gotten their periods back following childbirth. Night nursing encourages longer amenorrhoea (periodlessness). If you really don't want to get pregnant again, use some back up birth control even if you haven't gotten your period again. Unless you are carefully following a natural family planning program, you will have no way of knowing when your first ovulation will occur, and by the time you figure it out you may be expecting! Still, generally speaking, breastfeeding contributes to optimum child spacing.
Kennedy KI, Visness CM. "Contraceptive efficacy of lactational amenorrhoea." Lancet. 1992; 339:227-230
Labbock MH, Colie C. "Puerperium and breast-feeding." Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 1992; 4:818-825
- Breastfeeding is easier than using formula
After the initial start up period, breastfeeding is very easy. All you have to do is raise your shirt and let the little one latch on. No shopping for formula, bottles, and other supplies. No mixing, heating, refrigerating and cleaning up of formula. If you sleep with your baby, or sleep the baby next to your bed, you can forget about all the disturbing nighttime rituals associated with formula use. All you have to do is roll over, let the baby latch on, and go back to sleep!
- Breast milk is free
Any way you look at it, you'll spend a lot more money if you choose to formula feed. The added calories a nursing mother must take in are a negligible expense, and nursing clothes are optional. If you need to pump, excellent pumps are available for between $50 and $225. A good pump can be used for more than one child, so they are really an investment. Do be sure to buy a pump manufactured by a company specializing in their manufacture. Beware of pumps made by formula companies. Many woman report these pumps to be inefficient at best, and painful at worst.
- Formula is expensive
It presently costs upward of $1,200 dollars per year to formula feed an infant in the United States. If you factor in the added medical cost you are statistically likely to incur, that brings the cost up to around $2,500 per year. If your baby happens to require a hypo-allergenic formula, you will have to pay considerably more
- Formula costs the government (and taxpayers) millions of dollars
The U.S. government spends more than $2,665,715 a year to provide formula for the children of non-breastfeeding mothers participating in the WIC supplemental food program. Of course, this doesn't take into consideration the additional costs of caring for those infants who are statistically much more likely to get sick. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, higher breastfeeding rates could reduce US health care costs by $3.6 billion per year.
Riordan, J "The cost of not breastfeeding: a commentary" J Hum Lact 1997; 13(2) 93-97
A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk Pediatrics Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005
(http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496)
- Breastfed babies require fewer doctor visits
Since breastfed babies are statistically healthier, they see the doctor less often.
(Kaiser Permanente: Internal research to determine benefits of sponsoring an official lactation program - 1995)



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