First of all: it's important to understand that Breast isn't best... it's simply the normal way to feed a baby. It's the standard, which makes anything else sub-standard.
Breastfeeding is good for every part of baby's body--from the brain to the nappy area. Here's a list:
Brain. Higher IQ in breastfed children. Cholesterol and other types of fat in human milk support the growth of nerve tissue. (for example, see this research, or this encouraging video. And here, this research in 2010 suggests the effect is more marked in boys.)
Eyes. Visual acuity is higher in babies fed human milk (perhaps because of the breastfeeding position and the changes from side to side).
Ears. Breastfed babies get fewer ear infections.
Mouth. Less need for orthodontics in children breastfed more than a year. Improved muscle development of face from suckling at the breast. Subtle changes in the taste of human milk prepare babies to accept a variety of solid foods.
Throat. Children who are breastfed are less likely to require tonsillectomies.
Respiratory system. Evidence shows that breastfed babies have fewer and less severe upper respiratory infections, less wheezing, less pneumonia and less influenza.
Heart and circulatory system. Evidence suggests that breastfed children may have lower cholesterol as adults. Heart rates are lower in breastfed infants.
Digestive system. Less diarrhoea, fewer gastrointestinal infections in babies who are breastfeeding. Six months or more of exclusive breastfeeding reduces risk of food allergies. Also, less risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in adulthood.
Bowels. Less constipation. Stools of breastfed babies have a less-offensive odour.
Immune system. Breastfed babies respond better to vaccinations. Human milk helps to mature baby's own immune system. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of childhood cancer.
Endocrine system. Reduced risk of getting diabetes.
Kidneys. With less salt and less protein, human milk is easier on a baby's kidneys.
Appendix. Children with acute appendicitis are less likely to have been breastfed.
Urinary tract. Fewer infections in breastfed infants.
Joints and muscles. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is less common in children who were breastfed.
Skin. Less allergic eczema in breastfed infants. Especially when combined with Laughter!?
Growth. Breastfed babies are leaner at one year of age and less likely to be obese later in life.
{The above was all copied from a post on a forum, no reason so far to doubt anything there, but I'm open to corrections! Of course, this list talks statistics and trends. It doesn't suggest that formula-fed babies are all fat spotty stupid kids who die before they are 5 after a life in A&E.... It just lets you know that things could be that bit better if you breastfeed; and for the longer, the better. Also remember that there are many other factors involved in many of the conditions listed above. If you are worried about any of them, consult your GP!}
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Health Benefits for the baby
Links below will give you the low-down (and some big details - if you really want all the facts try this pdf file from LLL, or this pdf file from WHO in 2007) on why breastfed babies are just happier!
Also an article here from an American source - a clear review of the early studies.
- Breastmilk benefits outweigh the negatives - the problem of environmental pollutants is discussed. (Includes discussion on how to minimise toxins in your breastmilk.) See also index of material on this from the LLL.
- Info from the Canadian dentist Dr Palmer on how breastfeeding for at least one year helps to give your child's mouth the correct shape. (Much else on his site which is of interest, e.g. a recommendation to feed your baby with a cup rather than a bottle, if you return to work. Also, a page here which rebuffs the idea that breastmilk causes cavities in babies teeth - yet it's still given as a reason to stop feeding.)
- Heart disease, and another here
- Reduced risk of cot death (SIDS) in breastfed babies (see also a 2005 editorial here).
- Better lung power!
- Breastfed babies have a better food palette.
- Mums who breastfeed get more sleep, an average of 45 minutes per night, which is precious.
- A study provided interventions on randomized mothers so they wouldn’t stop breastfeeding, and those babies who breastfed for a year-ish scored higher on IQ tests.
- Breastfed babies are better behaved, though that could be the close contact. (A large study of 100,000 families).
- Reduced risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in your daughter when she's older
- Improved muscle power when the child is a teenager (research linked here, and there's a Hathor cartoon about it, too!)
- Here's one we don't know much about yet - breastmilk may contain Stem Cells.
Expressed Breastmilk (EBM) is an excellent 'cure-all' for the whole family! See following links on possible cures for cancer, warts, eye infections, stings & scratches. You can read an article about healing with EBM here on Green Parent mag. Also a newer article here.
If your toddler has already weaned, they may benefit from drinking a cup of EBM to stimulate appetite, or get them through an illness that is doing the rounds. (It may well taste too sweet to them - try making it into a smoothie? Ice lollies are great for sore throats, too. Just don't cook it, or you'll damage the immune system components in there!)
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Health Benefits for the Breastfeeding mother.
- These benefits include protection against heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancers of the breast, ovary and uterus.
- Anecdotally, many women find that their eczema & hay fever are much improved while they are pregnant and /or feeding. {Though there are also a few who get worse - it's poorly understood.}
- The calming effect of breastfeeding her child is very beneficial to a mother's mental health!
- Weight loss: a tricky one this, as some claim it has no effect. But many have seen the results & it will certainly help to 'pull' the uterus back into shape. Feeding a baby helps the mother to steadily reduce her weight, which is understood to be healthier than a crash diet.
- The effect on rheumatoid arthritis is thought to need more research, but a link was found in this small study in 2008: see here or more on the BBC site here. "They found women who had breastfed for more than a year were half as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never breastfed" - but a reduced effect was also seen where women fed their children for less than a year.
- A recent study shows a possible protection against Metabolic Syndrome, or pre-Diabetes, as it is sometimes known.
- It all gets summed up here - if you had cancer as a child, then choosing to BF will improve you health in later life.
Negatives?
Sometimes researchers can get a little carried away - here we find that previously reported benefits of BF have not been shown (although of course a negative impact hasn't been shown).
- More intelligent, IQ, discussion in the Independent June 08 (though BM contains compounds vital for proper brain development - see a video here)
Turning it round...
Another way of putting the data is that there may be Hazards in giving formula milk to a human baby! An article here, updated in 2006, gives us a large number of references & details about the risks of formula feeding.
- Recent New Scientist article about the water used to make up feeds.
- Dr Jay Gordon - just one bottle won't hurt?
- Importance of reading the label, and watching your child's body language so that the baby is not overfed - which can lead to obesity. A discussion here mentions the "window of opportunity" we have to set a healthy eating habit in our children whilst they are being exclusively breastfed. Parents often find that as they begin to use artificial milks, the baby will spit up/ posset more. This could well be due to overfeeding rather than the intolerance often blamed on the brand of milk? More on this here: Analytical Armadillo.
- Forum discussion here from Yahoo, includes a trenchant viewpoint that F***ula should only be available on Prescription, following advice from a trained Lactation Consultant!
- Adverse reactions to DHA in f***ula.
- F***ulas have been recalled - witness the awful troubles in 2008 with Chinese milk as an extreme case. (latest news here, and here.)
It is important to note that if bottle feeding is chosen, a commercially prepared, rather than homemade formula must be used. Nothing should be added to the formula. No gravy, mashed potato, just say NO! {You think I'm kidding? I've heard of a whole roast dinner puree being mixed into a bottle of milk for a baby less than 3 months old!! "He slept very well after that"}
Full-fat Cow's milk alone is not enough for a child until they are 12 months old.
What about soya milk? Read more here about concerns over GM foods, and high levels of oestrogens.
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Problems caused by using bottles (no matter what is inside them)
- Chemicals such as BPA/pthalates leaching from bottles, especially if boiling water is used (see source here and an excellent overview in the New York Times). Note that babies' bottles containing BPA have been banned in Canada. What's the alternative? Glass bottles are available, as are BPA-free plastics (do be sure of the source of your information though). Also stainless steel feeding devices or sippy cups. See also the soft landing site.
- Latex allergies can be a problem (if teat is latex)
- Nipple confusion
- Increased risk of ear infections
- Orthodontic problems (teeth & jaw development)
- Speech problems
- Tummy bugs - teats are very hard to keep clean, and milk is an excellent food source for bugs. Of course, this problem is much more important in underdeveloped countries without a reliable water supply. Yet in the West, too, babies fed with bottles are much more likely to have been in Hospital with a tummy bug by the age of 6 mths. Trust me, that's heartrending. How many less acute cases were not seen in hospitals? - not recorded. Breastmilk has some antimicrobial properties which reduce the risks of tummy bugs even if it is expressed and bottle-fed to your baby (one of the reasons it's a good idea to mix a little breastmilk with any supplemental formula feeds).
Making up a formula feed is not that easy! Firstly the guidelines by the Department of Health on how to safely prepare formula, differ from those on the back of the packet! A midwife from the University of Kent reported in 2009, that babies were at risk because mother's were not told how to make up bottles safely. She went on to say: "Formula is not sterile and bacteria can be present. When it is made up or stored incorrectly there is a big risk that it could cause gastroenteritis. Formula fed babies are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis, which in the majority of cases is preventable."
- A horribly high proportion of formula milk powders have been shown to have levels of dangerous bacteria (link here to a BBC page on E. sakazakii). For this reason it's very important to make up each bottle of formula - fresh - using water which is higher than 70 degrees C. (This is also the reason why preemie babies are given ready-made formula cartons if no Mum or donor breastmilk is available). This is still so poorly known/understood/believed that products which help up make bottles (Wrongly) such as this (Beaba expresso gadget) are still sold in the UK.
- Kettles which have a thermometer on the side can let you know when the boiled water has cooled down to near 70oC. (eg. a Sabichi brand kettle, sold in Argos & elsewhere.)
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