BF vs. daycare germs

JennJenn613

I am curious... does anyone think that BF has helped their LO avoid DC bugs? I'm nervous about sending DS2 to DC at 8 weeks and hoping maybe the antibodies from BM will help avoid some of the horrible plagues that DS1 -- who was long done BFing by that point -- was instantly smitten with when he started DC.

mrambo3

I think it's definitely helped.  I BF'd DS until he was one.  He didn't get a single ear infection and he was only super sick once (by sick I mean an all over body rash caused by a viral infection).  I will say that he had a runny nose on and off until he was one but it was managable.

brewcitybride

Not really. I breastfed DD until she was 8 months.I stayed home with her for a year, she was kind of in a protective bubble by being at home. The second she got to daycare, she got sick. For like 4 months straight. 

But I only breastfed DS for 4 months, and he went to daycare at 3 months. And he's only been sick once (he's now 8 months). So go figure! Kids will get sick, no matter what.

salt78

DD went to daycare at 7w, is FF, and hasn't been sick yet. My husband and I have both been sick at separate times over the past couple of months and she didn't get sick from us either.

Personally I think it's BS. I know people that got sick all the time as children that were BFed. I was FF and was only very rarely sick as a child.

MrsWindyCity

Nope. DS was BF and got sick a TON. I mean, I guess it's possible he would have gotten sick even more frequently if I were to FF, but I don't think it would have been a big difference. It sucked.

ETA: I should say that DS never got any of the big common sicknesses like Croup, RSV, etc. He was just always sick with a cold and had several (7 I think) ear infections. 

larivierek

I think it helped for sure. It was as if the minute she weaned (at 13 mo.) she started getting ear infections and pneumonia.

kmwills

I FF my DD and my friend BF her DS.  Both kids went to in-home DCs (different homes).  Her DS is ALWAYS sick with ear infections and the flu.  DD has had one ear infection in 2 years. 

So much for that BF theory...

financialdiva

Yes I do. I bf DS for 14 months, he started daycare at 12 weeks. One ear infection and a very very minor case of RSV that first winter was the most serious of his daycare sickness. Yes, he had a runny nose probably one week each month for that first year, but I think I have taken a total of 3.5 days in the 2+ years he has been in daycare and one of them I probably could have sent him but wanted to stay home and give him some extra TLC. 

 

mben1119

I wish. DS was BFed for his first 4 months, and in daycare since 10 weeks, and definitely got a cold and ear infection during that time.

emberlee3

Uh, if BFing helped DS fight off daycare germs, I don't even want to think about how often he would have been sick if he'd been formula fed.

He was sick 3-4 times per month through his first winter and spring of daycare.  Granted, he started at 8 weeks right at the start of flu/RSV season.

Kie310

I didn't BF & my son never got an ear infection & his only issue ended up being a clogged tear duct that caused pink eye constantly. (He was sent home a few times for pink eye, which is it's own pain in the ass, but nothing BF could have stopped since it was a clogged duct we had opened at 12 months)

 He went into DC at 3 months. 

If they are going to get sick, they are going to get sick.  

caramia582

salt78:

Personally I think it's BS. I know people that got sick all the time as children that were BFed. I was FF and was only very rarely sick as a child.

This.  I see no correlation between BF babies and getting sick less in my experience.  My son was FF and has never gotten sick, just a cold once (and he's almost 2).

Did anyone see the study out of Europe that suggested with children with dogs get sick less often?  Kinda interesting... 

 

Edited to say he WAS FF...  

itsmevkb

caramia582:

salt78:

Personally I think it's BS. I know people that got sick all the time as children that were BFed. I was FF and was only very rarely sick as a child.

This.  I see no correlation between BF babies and getting sick less in my experience.  My son was FF and has never gotten sick, just a cold once (and he's almost 2).

Did anyone see the study out of Europe that suggested with children with dogs get sick less often?  Kinda interesting... 

 

Edited to say he WAS FF...  

Some people just have great immune systems and others do not.  I really believe in the theory that exposure to some germs (like exposure to pets) actually helps to build immune systems and least that's my rationalization for not keeping my house sparkling clean ;-)

iluvmylab

mrambo3:

I think it's definitely helped.  I BF'd DS until he was one.  He didn't get a single ear infection and he was only super sick once (by sick I mean an all over body rash caused by a viral infection).  I will say that he had a runny nose on and off until he was one but it was managable.

This. I have friends who have ff babies and they get ear infections a lot. It does make a diffenrence. It's not BS, it's scientific fact. Breastfeeding does give more immunity. You have no way of knowing how many times your child would have been sick during that same timeframe if you chose to feed another way. But sure, there are exceptions.

catsinawindow

I EBF DS for the first year.  He went to daycare at 8 weeks.  He had a few sniffles now and then, but was only sick enough for him to not go to daycare once (and man was that an epic illness, but that's another story :-) )  He, to this day, has never had an ear infection.

Anctedotal evidence aside, research shows that BF babies do get sick less than their FF peers.  So, yes, your BF DS2 has a good chance, statistically, of getting sick less than your FF DS1.

MNgirl326

eh, maybe, maybe not.

My LO started going to daycare at 6 weeks.  He was EBF until 6 months and then FF from 6 months to a year.  He was sick just as much from when I EBF to FF. 

I am sure the BM helps, but I probably won't go betting money on it that it is going to keep your kid from getting sick.

Daycares are germ factories, thats just kind of the way it is.  But I look at it as, it is really building up his immune system so when he gets to school, he (hopefully) won't be sick as much.

catsinawindow

Linky to one of many studies showing a decrease in illness for BF babies:

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10103324

NicoleWI

I suppose it helps a bit, but I think so much just depends on your kid and your daycare. I BF DD until past a year (supplementing, too) and she was sick ALL THE TIME. It was awful. But, other kids don't get sick very much, whether FF or BF. The only thing she never really got was ear infections--so maybe it helped with that, or maybe she's just not prone to getting them.

We have a nanny now and DS has been sick WAY less than DD was. For me, I am fine w/ kids getting sick more later on, but I didn't want to go through all the crazy sickness again with an infant. It really affected our lives during DD's first year/year and a half. 

LoCarb

Not in my case. I BF DD1 and she was sick all the time. I FF DD2 and she was sick a lot but not nearly as often and she seemed to get over her illness faster. I think it depends on the kid and not the boob.

DallasHorn

In my opinion...yes. DD1 went to DC at 11 weeks. I BF her until she was 15 months. The entire first year she was never sick. There was only 1 other baby in her room that was EBF and that baby also never got sick. The mom and I had certainly noticed how often the other kids were getting breathing treatments, on medicine, etc (and we noticed since we nursed our babies over our lunch hour).

That said, there is some factor that luck, genetics and environment play too. My SIL did not BF for more than a couple of weeks with all her kids and is a SAHM...her kids are always sick.

JennJenn613

Yikes. It sounds like most people think it doesn't really make a difference. I was just kind of hopeful because my DS1, who started DC at 20 months, has been WAY sick several times already and I don't want to think about an eight-week-old with the same illnesses.

I'm not just talking colds, I'm talking stomach flu and sinus infections and a week of diarrhea and all kinds of fun 

groovygrl

I think the research backs up the fact that it definitely helps immunity but is certainly no sort of guarantee against illnesses & some ppl seem to think that it is like some big protective wall or something. Don't forget baby is only getting the immunities you pass on so if you don't have antibodies to protect against something to pass on & baby is exposed then baby still gets sick...  There will be kids who are BFed and don't get sick and ones who get sick like crazy, same for FF & there is no way to know either way (those who say 'yes it helped my kid' don't know for sure that it did anymore than the ones who say 'no it didn't') but from a scientific standpoint there is a better chance that it will.  (for the record my kids were BFed for like 2 weeks). Genetics & environmental exposures are extremely important & I think it would be interesting if someday they could study which factors are most & least important but BFing is the most controllable followed perhaps by some environmental factors.

It's a similar thing w/ kids who go to daycare & don't- I know tons of kids who never went to daycare & were barely around other kids much in their first couple years who were sick just as much & even more than my kids who went to daycare, and I know kids who weren't.   Their genetics & environment will play into the whole picture also. And why do some kids get a massive case of HFM that is clearly the same strain as another kid in their DC class who gets a fever and like one blister, if their BF & FF status is the same? genetics, individual differences...

 

cecilyandgautam

I don't really thing of them as being related. I think of BM as providing protection against things like earn infections, stomach bugs, etc. Colds, the flu - the kind of thing you'd pick up in daycare - I'm not sure how BM relates to all that. It probably helps but it's certainly not a guarantee. 

My daughter's in a tiny in-home daycare with only 2 other kids, both breastfed, so thankfully we haven't had to deal with daycare-based illness yet.  

MNgirl326

JennJenn613:

Yikes. It sounds like most people think it doesn't really make a difference. I was just kind of hopeful because my DS1, who started DC at 20 months, has been WAY sick several times already and I don't want to think about an eight-week-old with the same illnesses.

I'm not just talking colds, I'm talking stomach flu and sinus infections and a week of diarrhea and all kinds of fun 

Your 20 month old could be getting sick more because since he has been home, he hasn't built up the immunities yet, and now that he is in daycare, he is getting exposed to more.

 Where on the other hand, your 8 week old, may or may not get sick as much.  The 8 week old, may begin to build up the immunities faster since being exposed to them at an earlier age. 

So, BM may or may not have anything to do with it.

Like everyone has said, there is a lot more to it then that.  Genetics, enviornment, etc.

So, I personally would just go with the flow and not borrow trouble, or illnesses, that may or may not happen.

duchess0727

My kids were mainly FF and generally pretty healthy.  I have to say that I think daycare isn't as much a germ factory as public school.  My 5 yr old and 3 yr old have had one ear infection each and average one stomach bug a year.  They all had colds the first winter (including the 10 month old) but that's pretty much it.  I think unfortunately there are too many other factors to attribute sickness to just BF/FF. 

iluvmylab

CTGirl30:

Nope. I BF'd DD until she started daycare at 3 months old / I went back to work. She still came down with every single disgusting bug last Fall & winter - and passed them on to me. Let me tell you that the stomach bug (complete with projectile puke & explosive diarhea) was the most fun. Especially when it's all in their crib.

So it didn't really help with that.

But the funny thing is that she hasn't been sick at all since winter ended and spring rolled around. ::knocking furiously on wood::  It's almost like she just had to get it all over with at once and she's been great ever since. Kid has never had an ear infection...(again, knocking on wood).

if you stopped breastfeeding when she went to dc, she was no longer getting immunities from you. Winter is flu season and it's more common to be sick compared to the springtime. 

terpsfan

CTGirl30:

Nope. I BF'd DD until she started daycare at 3 months old / I went back to work. She still came down with every single disgusting bug last Fall & winter - and passed them on to me. Let me tell you that the stomach bug (complete with projectile puke & explosive diarhea) was the most fun. Especially when it's all in their crib.

So it didn't really help with that.

I'm not a scientist but I don't think it works that way.  I don't think the BF benefits continue on after you are done BF-ing.  I think it's while or during where the sickness/immunity benefit applies.

I BF-d both of my kids until they were 2 (well still going with #2, he's only 18 months but not seeing it ending anytime soon).  I pumped/provided only BM until 12 months though.  They had your general run of the mill colds/runny noses but nothing severe and we definitely did not see the nasty GI, flu, ear infections, etc kind of stuff.  Both of my kids started daycare around 4 months old and they were born during cold/flu season.  I strongly believe that BF/breast milk prevented a lot of illness (or at least weakened because what they got, I got, and they got my antibodies thru me at the same time) but it didn't prevent everything.

I say that, but my oldest still has a severe food allergy, so that "BF lessens food allergy" theory makes me wonder....

skyejo

It's hard to say.  DD did get sick but it wasn't a crazy amount or anything.  Whether that had anything to do with the fact that she was breastfed...who knows. 

groovygrl

terpsfan:

I'm not a scientist but I don't think it works that way.  I don't think the BF benefits continue on after you are done BF-ing.  I think it's while or during where the sickness/immunity benefit applies.

I don't think it does either (not an expert here either), I think it is temporary immunity until LO can begin to build their own & for extra protection.  Plus it is not like if you are immune to chicken pox, you pass that on to your LO for life or something, I think it only applies to certain types of illnesses that can be fought by more generic antibody or immune type proteins/cells...

everam01

Both of my boys had breastmilk until age 1 (I EPed) but still got most of the normal daycare colds that circulated. They also had RSV in the winter. 

katie4253

Nope.  He was getting almost 100% bm at daycare and still got sick a ton. 

laurakaz13

Not really.  I BF DD for 5 months and she got several colds.  She has never had a fever or any other sickness though. 

Kids will get sick at daycare.  Building up their immune systems is a GOOD thing. 

Jenny952

Yes, I absolutely do!  DD got a cold on her first week, which I was expecting because she had never been around that many babies before.  She has not been sick since, and we had a bout of Hand-Foot-Mouth disease go around.  I could not believe she didn't get HFM, but my mom is convinced it's b/c DD is getting all those good antibodies from my milk. 

Imanurse03

Eh, not sure yet.  DS started at a daycare center at nearly 3 months old and was BF until 5 months old.  He's not really been sick yet and has been FF for the past month or so.  I think that most kids in daycare will get sick at some point, regardless of what they're fed. 

Annabelle81

I think it is more about the child, one of mine was sick a lot, one was not, both breastfed. I continue to believe bf is beneficial, but I don't think it is magical!

laurakaz13

LucyD1029:

JennJenn613:

Yikes. It sounds like most people think it doesn't really make a difference. I was just kind of hopeful because my DS1, who started DC at 20 months, has been WAY sick several times already and I don't want to think about an eight-week-old with the same illnesses.

I'm not just talking colds, I'm talking stomach flu and sinus infections and a week of diarrhea and all kinds of fun 

I think BFing helped DS.  He started daycare at 4 months and has only had colds, no stomach bugs, ear infections, RSV, diarrhea, etc.  That said, he goes to a small home daycare, so he may be a little more sheltered.  

Yeah, but my DD only got colds when she was BFing.  Once I started her on Formula she never did.  And like I said, she has never had a fever or any other sickness, ever! 

I honestly think there are lots of factors involved.  I don't think BFing is the sole reason.  And it really sounds 50/50 reading these responses. 

I'm a FF baby, and I have never been sick.  Never!  I get the occasional cold, but never anything more.  And never did as a kid either.  So, I also agree that BFing is great, but not some magic potion. 

Julia_JJ

Another FF mom whose kid has been sick once in five months - a mild case of croup. He has yet to have a fever. And since the daycare posts notices, I know what's gone around - RSV, hand-foot-mouth, stomach flu... you name it. He hasn't caught any of it (I think he was the one to start the croup "outbreak," and the other kids got it WAY worse).

And I was breastfed and was hardly ever sick as a kid. SCIENCE!

teachermother

It doesn't make a bit of difference!!!  I bf my 1st and she had so many ear infections she got tubes at 9 mos and she had so many sore throats (strep) she got her tonsils and adnoids out at 1 year!! I cannot believe how sick she was her 1st year of life so those who say you have to bf to keep them healthy its not ALWAYS the case!!! 

maddie789

I BF for a year, and DS still came down with several bugs (he was sent to daycare at 12 weeks). Mostly ear infections, but some kids just are prone to ear infections. It's hard to say whether or not BF made it any better, because who knows - he could have had even MORE ear infections if he were formula fed. You just never know.

mplesset23

I 100% think it helped.  My LO did not get sick until the month I stopped BFing.  He had been in DC 3 1/2 months prior to that.

semdkm

My son was BF until he was 1.5 years old.  He started daycare at 4 mos. and caught RSV two weeks later, spent most of his first year plus sick.  So, not sure how much bf made a difference but I'm glad I did it for the other benefits!