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October 2013 Moms
sooner1981
member
Breast feeding benefits overstated.
sooner1981
member
https://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/02/27/breast_feeding_study_benefits_of_breast_over_bottle_have_been_exaggerated.html
So, this was all over my Facebook last night--so I read the journal article while I was BF-ing for the third time last night. Basically, breastfeeding studies have always been difficult to control, since a woman's ability to breastfeed for a significant length of time usually has implications about the type of job she has (or whether she is a sahm), relative economic stability of the family, the mom and baby's health (since sick or unhealthy moms usually have to FF out of necessity and babies who are hospitalized as infants often end up on formula), etc.
So, when studies come out showing that breastfed babies are [insert anything positive], it is hard to know whether the health benefit is due to breastfeeding or due to the advantageous environment.
A new large-scale study attempted to control for these factors by only studying families where one sibling was formula fed and one was breast fed, even though the kids had the same parents, grew up in the same environment, Etc. The study measured 11 different aspects of health and well being of 4-11 year old kids, from obesity, BMI, several different intelligence tests, health, asthma/allergies, the level of attachment felt by the mom and the kid toward each other, and several others.
It found absolutely NO statistically-significant difference between BF and FF kids on any of the categories studied. The only statistically-significant difference that the study showed was that BF babies had a slightly higher chance of having asthma than FF babies.
At first when I read this, I was a little discouraged because I spend an hour of my work day unpaid in order to pump. But then I snapped out of it and I was really excited. Science has figured out a formula that is so close to human milk that there is no difference between kids in any of these health categories--unlike any time in history, when babies who didn't have access to breast milk were severely disadvantaged. What an incredible accomplishment and a blessing to parents everywhere!
Thoughts?
So, this was all over my Facebook last night--so I read the journal article while I was BF-ing for the third time last night. Basically, breastfeeding studies have always been difficult to control, since a woman's ability to breastfeed for a significant length of time usually has implications about the type of job she has (or whether she is a sahm), relative economic stability of the family, the mom and baby's health (since sick or unhealthy moms usually have to FF out of necessity and babies who are hospitalized as infants often end up on formula), etc.
So, when studies come out showing that breastfed babies are [insert anything positive], it is hard to know whether the health benefit is due to breastfeeding or due to the advantageous environment.
A new large-scale study attempted to control for these factors by only studying families where one sibling was formula fed and one was breast fed, even though the kids had the same parents, grew up in the same environment, Etc. The study measured 11 different aspects of health and well being of 4-11 year old kids, from obesity, BMI, several different intelligence tests, health, asthma/allergies, the level of attachment felt by the mom and the kid toward each other, and several others.
It found absolutely NO statistically-significant difference between BF and FF kids on any of the categories studied. The only statistically-significant difference that the study showed was that BF babies had a slightly higher chance of having asthma than FF babies.
At first when I read this, I was a little discouraged because I spend an hour of my work day unpaid in order to pump. But then I snapped out of it and I was really excited. Science has figured out a formula that is so close to human milk that there is no difference between kids in any of these health categories--unlike any time in history, when babies who didn't have access to breast milk were severely disadvantaged. What an incredible accomplishment and a blessing to parents everywhere!
Thoughts?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Breast feeding benefits overstated.
I know that I'm probably in the minority but I've always kind of felt that BF was overrated. I EP because it's easy for me and because it's free, but would have had no problem FF if circumstances made it necessary. I was EBF until I was almost a year old (my mother bemoans the fact that I refused a bottle and would do nothing but nurse all day, everyday) but my sister was FF. So i guess we would have been a perfect case for this study. Intellectually, physically, socially, etc., we are very similar. And if I have to be perfectly honest, she's actually probably smarter (dont tell her i admitted that) and healthier than I am (but let's chalk that up to the fact that she's veg and eats WAAAAY better).
Like i said, I realize im in the minority -- i never enjoyed nursing and think people get way to uptight and pretentious about boob only/breast milk only -- but seeing as there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who were formula fed as infants and are presumably just fine, i can't say that this is that shocking.
Here is a more in depth review of the study and the researchers--a team at Ohio State University.
The lead researcher said that she certainly wasn't concluding that breastfeeding wasn't beneficial, especially in newborns, but just that the current evidence suggests it doesn't have a powerful long term effect. So instead of having such a hyper societal focus on "breast is best," we should be focusing on subsidized high-quality day cares for working moms, better maternity leave policies, childhood nutrition, and similar issues.
And the study didn't look at potential benefits to the mother because that is not what this study was designed to assess. It only looked at the long-term outcomes of kids ages 4-14 who were either bf or ff as babies, and found there were no statisitically-significant differences in their health or intelligence.
It is awesome that you enjoy breastfeeding. I too have had a relatively easy time with it, and that is why I have done it for going on 20 months now. But for those who do not enjoy it or who tried desperately and couldn't do it for any number of reasons, this study is pretty awesome!
The fact that formula fed babies appear to be equally nourished and healthy as breast fed babies doesn't take anything away from your experience or your baby.
Agree, I'm very curious as to funding. This seems like the study had an agenda. Not that I wouldn't feed my child formula, I'm just cheap.
May Siggy: Baby in disguise
I am curious why you think that publishing the results of a study suggests that the PhD researcher had an "agenda?"
BFP #1 1/11/11 M/C 2/4/11
BFP #2 6/13/11 Baby E born 2/18/12
BFP #3 12/3/12 C/P 12/5/12
BFP #4 2/10/13 Baby R born 10/19/13
She only said that she thought this study may help women who feel guilty about needing to FF (not by choice) or supplement (not by choice).
Presumably, women who FF 100% by choice believe it to be the best decision for their family and don't feel any "guilt" for their decision. So, this new study probably wouldn't affect those women in the same way as those who agonized over the decision for weeks and months....
@jgslr, you can definitely correct me if I am wrong!
Also, I think this is a great read for moms who had to switch to FF after some issues with BF. As a mom who chose from the beginning to FF, I love it too because it doesn't chastise moms who only have formula fed.
I bf for lots of reasons. And I admit money plays a big factor. Even if formula and BM were identical, I still wouldn't want to pay for something I can get for free as I am blessed with a good supply.
Isnt it great that we have so many healthy options? FF? Great! BF? Great! Combo? Great! Bananas? Gr ...
;-)
There are many things we do and put into our bodies that we DO have evidence on but we still do them. For example, getting a suntan, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes...do people quit these things because the evidence shows us it's bad? No. We don't really give two flips about what these behaviors will do in the long run...I see it everyday.
In conclusion, women who decide to FF now have some support by evidence, and those who decide to BF will still do so knowing they are doing what's right for them and their child.
One more thing...@KimbosOverSupply? Wut? LOL.
AE in the house!
Yes. I was very confused!
And I didn't realize I talked about so much to warrant an AE. Lol
"Ahhh bottles or boobs... who cares?!?! I used to be pro boob until my daughter. She's one of the smartest babies I've ever met in my life and not just cuz she's mine, and she was bottle fed! Everyone's worried about the nutrients the breast milk gives yet we grow up and fill our bodies with unbelievable toxins which IMO negate the earlier nutrients anyways! Im with my wife on this one. No ones saying breast feeding is BAD, and no ones saying bottle feeding BAD. As long as the child is growing and healthy who cares? AMIRITE LADIES?!? lol"