Each year, there are around 16 million infants born in the United States alone. Of those 16 million, only 12% of their mothers are exclusively breastfeeding. That number is just too low – especially when you consider how beneficial breastfeeding actually is! And while you may feel like a bottle can’t do as much damage especially to food allergy in babies as a breast, new research shows that it might not be as harmless as we thought.
In this post, we’re going to go over 5 reasons why baby formula is not good for your baby’s health and why you should consider breastfeeding exclusively (if possible).
- It’s linked to several diseases
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology just published research that says that babies who are fed cow’s milk formula during infancy could be at increased risk for developing type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease. The participants were children between the ages of 0-17 years old and were followed from birth until the age of 10. During the study period, researchers asked mothers how often their child had been fed a particular diet. This included cows’ milk formula, soy milk formula, or breast milk only.
- It could lead to a long-term difference in health
The longer your child is on formula, the more difficult it can be for them to return to breastfeeding or for you to even produce milk if you’re unable to breastfeed your child. According to a 2017 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, the longer infants are fed infant formula (in this case, it was cows’ milk formula), the less likely they are to become fully lactose tolerant.
- It isn’t as good as breastfeeding when it comes to nutrition
Most infant formulas are made to provide all the nutrients babies need during their first year of life, but a lot of people don’t realize just how much better breast milk actually is. According to the Federal Trade Commission, milk from breastfed babies contains two to eight times more omega-3 fatty acids than formula. There’s a good reason for this – breast milk is made up of a combination of fats that help your baby’s brain development.
- Baby formula can lead to eczema
There are anecdotal reports of eczema developing in children who were given infant formula as babies, and new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that there could be several links between eczema and infant formula use. In the research, scientists found that formula-fed infants had an increased risk of developing eczema during the first year of life. This links back to our earlier statement about how breast milk might aid in brain development – with this being said, it’s possible that there could be a link between poor cognitive abilities and eczema.
- It could lead to childhood obesity
While this one isn’t too common, new research published in Pediatrics found that babies who were fed formula were more likely to become overweight or obese as children. The study included 2,908 healthy infants from across the country who were followed from birth until age 7.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting out on your breastfeeding journey or are more experienced and want to start giving formula to your child, try to remember that it’s not a bad thing – breast milk is actually very important for your child’s health.