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 Infant formula is associated with cognitive deficiencies in pre-term infants and school-aged children. Mother's choice to provide breast milk has significant developmental outcome. Morley, et al. Arch Dis Child 63:1382-1385, 1988. - Lower mental development scores Pre-term infants who were formula fed had lower Bayley Mental Development scores at 18 months than their breastfed peers, after adjusting for social, economic and demographic factors. Breast milk has shown subsequent intelligence quotient in children born pre-term. Morley, et al. Lancet 339: 261-264, 1992. - Lower IQ scores Formula-fed pre-term infants had lower IQ scores at age 7 and 8 years than breastfed pre-term infants, after adjustment for mother's education, social and economic status. There are certain neurological differences between 9 year-old children fed breast-milk or formula-milk as babies. Lanting, et al. Lancet 344: 1319-1322, 1994. This retrospective study showed that at the age of 9 years, children who had been fully breastfed for the first 3 weeks of life had improved neurological development. - Increased risk of allergic symptoms Formula-fed infants risk allergic symptoms at greater rates and in greater severity than breastfed infants. Infant feeding, wheezing, and allergy: a prospective study. Burr, et al. Arch Dis Child 68:724-728, 1993. Children with a family history of allergic disease who had ever been breastfed had a lower incidence of allergy or wheezing. The risk of wheezing was halved in breastfed children after allowing for employment status, passive smoking and overcrowding. Breastfeeding may confer long term protection against respiratory disease. - Anaphylactic reaction Anaphylaxis after ingestion of a recently introduced hydrolyzed whey protein formula. Ellis, et al. J of Ped 118: 74-77, 1991. Case study of infant with anaphylactic reaction after ingestion of hydrolyzed whey protein formula was presented. Authors warn of possible allergic reaction despite manufacturers' claims. - Higher rates of infectious diseases Formula-fed infants show higher rates of infectious disease while breastfeeding has shown protective effect against infection. Howie, et al. Br Med J 300: 11-16, 1990. After adjustment for confounding variables, babies who were breastfed for 13 weeks or more had significantly less gastro-intestinal illnesses than those that were bottle fed from birth. - More possibility of otitis media Exclusive breast-feeding for at least 4 months protects against otitis media. Burris, et al. Pediatrics 91: 867-872. 1993. Infants exclusively breastfed for 4 months or more had 50% fewer episodes of acute otitis media. - Protective effect of breast feeding against diarrhea Secretory anti-giardia lambia antibodies in human milk: Protective effect of breast feeding against diarrhea has been shown. Walterspiel, et al. Pediatrics 93: 28-31, 1994. The amount of anti-giardia lambia in human milk was associated with prevention of symptoms of diarrhea due to giardia. This evidence further strengthens the importance of breast milk in the prevention of diarrheal disease. Relationship between infant feeding and infections during the first six months of life. Beaudry, et al. J Pediatrics 126; 191-197, 1995. - Increased rate of respiratory disease The results of this retrospective cohort study show the protective effect of breastfeeding on respiratory disease for the first 6 months of life after adjusting for socio-economic factors, maternal age and cigarette consumption. Only one hospital admission occurred for respiratory disease during the breastfeeding weeks compared to 51 hospital admissions during the bottle feeding period. - Formula fed infants have more auto-immune disease Finnish children exclusively breastfed with delayed exposure to infant formula based on cow's milk had significantly reduced incidence of diabetes. Infant feeding in Finnish children < 7 yr of age with diagnosed IDDM. Virtanin, et al. Diabetes Care 14: 415-417, 1991 - Higher risk of cancer due to artificial feeding The risk of developing childhood lymphomas was 5 to 8 times higher for artificially fed infants as compared to infants breastfed for six months or less. Davies, et al. Lancet 2: 365-368, 1988. Selected apotosis (the destruction of unwanted cells), of tumour cells while leaving other cells intact on exposure to human milk factors (multimeric a-lactalbumin) suggests a role in the prevention of tumour growth and cancer prevention. Hakansson, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 92: 8064-8068, 1995. - Formula fed infants have a higher mortality rate A risk benefit analysis in the US determined that for every 1000 infants born, four will die because they are not breastfed. Rogan, W. K. Ped Res 25; 105-, 1989. Cot death supplement results from the first year of the New Zealand cot death study. Mitchel, E.A., et al. NZ Med J 104: 71-74, 1991. Identification of risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in New Zealand concludes three factors - infants sleeping in prone position, parents smoking and not breastfeeding to account for 79% of death from SIDS. In the UK an estimated 500 extra cases of necrotising enterocolitis occur in pre-term infants exclusively formula fed. About 100 of these infants would die. Lucas A. Lancet 336: 1519-1523, 1990. (Source: infactcanada.ca)   Socialize this Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in touch and receive all of TT updates right in your feed reader
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