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Toddlers: 24 Months+
Poll: BFing vs. FFing (illness)
Just curious is your DC was BF or FF and how often they get sick. OR if you were BF or FF and how often you get sick.
Madi only had about a weeks worth of BM and she has been sick a few times (RSV, virus 3 times, cold once, ear infection 3 times). Not sure about Syd, nothing yet, but she will have had BM for about 9 weeks.
I was BF for 6 months and I never get sick. Maybe ever 3 years or so I will get a sinus infection. I had an ear infection earlier this year though. 2 of my sisters were not BF at all and it seems like they are always sick!
So, I am just curious what your situation has been with it.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Poll: BFing vs. FFing (illness)
ME: BF just over a year and I have horrible, extremely bad allergies (epi pen and year round type and allergy shots) and I get sick a lot. (I was BF a LOT longer than my siblings and I have the worst allergies and immune system out of all of us).
DD: BF for 4 months then FF. She was sick a lot after she started DC but not a lot anymore. She does have tubes.
DD#1- FF, had problems with ear infections up to about a year, then nothing. The kid NEVER gets sick. (She's 12)
DS- FF, has been on 1 antibiotic for an ear infection and had Roseola once. (He's 2)
DD#2- FF, has had Rotovirus once (she's 9 mos)
All FF, all very healthy.
I was FF and my Mom SAH with me until I was 3, and I still had chronic ear infections as an infant.
DS was BF for a week (pedi made me start supplement FF because DS was losing so much weight. Turns out he was starving). Had several colds/ear infections until he got tubes at 10.5 months. Has had a few colds since then, but no EI.
My nephew was EBF for over a year. He had several colds/ear inections, he also had tubes before he turned 1. He then had tonsils/adenoids/tubes (again) last year at 2.5 years old.
I really don't think they are related. There is always something to throw off studies.
DD was FF but also in daycare since she was 12 weeks old. her first year she did get sick but she also had tons and tons of ear infections (she is 3 and schedule for her 4th set of tubes). That being said if she didn't have ear issues she would never really be sick. Once she got tubes and we got rid of the dogs she hasn't really been sick.
I don't think being BM would help the ear issues she has as they are gentic.
DS was BF for a year. In that year he had about 2-3 colds, and 1 really really bad stomach virus. Maybe 1-2 other mild fever virus.
at 9 months he developed a chronic GI issue and was sick with that until 16/17 months.
At 15 months he went to day care and has basically been sick since. His GI issues wore down his immune system. Now that we have that solved, he is much healthier now.
Me, I was FF. I have a blood immune problem. low imunoglobins in my system. I am sick all the time. This year, 3 stomach viruses, pneumonia. hospital twice. I am sick ALL the time. I have no idea if not being BF contributed to my problem.
I breastfed DD for 18 months, and she's only been sick once, with a very mild case of roseola. It also helps that she's not in daycare.
My siblings and I were all breastfed for nine months. I rarely get sick, while my two sisters seem to be constantly sick. Granted, one is still in college, and the other is a middle school teacher.
I can see the connection in infants and toddlers, but I don't think it continues into adulthood. I attribute my good health to my healthy lifestyle.
my mom bf me for 4 months,supplemented with formula b/c that's what doctors told "everyone" to do back then.. then at 4 months they switched me to lowfat cows' milk (that's what my mom says)... no food allergies, rarely sick.
dh was ff all the way.... he has a lot of seasonal allergies... some food sensitivities where he gets red and warm, but he doesn't know what causes it (I suspect something, but it's something he loves so he will never agree it to be the culprit... benedryl in stock). he catches everything the kids bring home.
dd bf for 13months... rarely sick. she had maybe 1 or 2 colds her first year... went to a playgroup, started mmo at 18m.. she just doesn't get sick often
ds bf for 15-16m.. he had 1 or 2 colds his first year, had weaned for 2 wks at 15m.. then came down with a bad case of croup... cold. wheezing... he nursed through that illness (he wanted to , comfort)... and since then he's had 1 other cold and it also started with a night of wheezing. ?
there was research that suggested a decrease in occurance of asthma in bf babies... possibly related to work put into bf'ing.. takes more coordination (suck, swallow, breathing)... harded to withdraw the milk... suggests an increase air volume when breathing... ??? I should look for that article... but I cannot.
there are many benefits.. but when it comes to ear infections.... that's anatomy. colds... that's handwashing. exposure... maybe there's a difference in severity? or immune reaction? IDK? I'm sure there's a big difference in dc this age who sah vs dc.... will that make a huge difference in the future? doubtful.
That's what I have gathered from everyones answers. I am sure a lot has to do with staying home or not also!
exposure (sah vs. dc) has a ton to do with it. Carson was ff and had one ear infection for the whole year he was watched only by family. i put him in daycare at 13 months and BOOM! he exploded like a volcano. sucked but it was just par for the course. things have gotten better though now that he has been exposed and getting older.
Honestly, I think it's pretty random. I was FFed and got sick with colds and such regularly but not to the point of being extremely or constantly ill. Just normal. DH was also FFed and is healthy as a horse and always has been. He rarely gets sick.
DD was BFed almost exclusively for 2 months and right at 2 mos, when she started daycare, ear infection and sinus infection. She was 100% weaned by 4 mos and got sick fairly regularly that first year but now it isn't too bad and is much more infrequent.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
DD was BF and never got a fever or an ear infection until she was weaned.
I was FF and I rarely get sick
my brother was FF and was sick all of the time.
.
DD is/was BFed and she has never had anything more than a stomach bug. no ear infections. She gets the sniffles every now and then. She is sick right now, but that is just a cough and slight fever.
I was BFed for about 2 weeks and have an awful immune system.
ETA: DD has gone to daycare since she was 11 weeks.
I was FF and I had really bad ear infections, but as I got older, I hardly get sick.
DD was BF for 10.5 months and had really bad virus at 6 wks (103.5 temp, hospital for 3 days), 1 ear infection, 1 stomach virus 3 days only, 1 really bad cold.