Research about Feeding your Baby

Women have the choice of feeding their baby breast milk (here described as "breastfeeding") or feeding their baby with formula milk (here described as "bottlefeeding"). Women can also use a mixture of breast and bottle feeding.

Research has shown that breast milk is the best food for babies.³⁹ Bottle fed babies (when compared to babies fully breastfed for 3-4 months) are:

• 5 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with diarrhoea⁴⁰
• twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with respiratory disease⁴¹
• twice as likely to suffer from middle ear infections⁴²
• 5 times more likely to develop a urinary tract infection⁴³
• twice as likely to develop eczema or a wheeze, if there is a family history of allergies⁴⁴

Further advantages to breastfeeding are the health benefits available for breastfeeding mothers, such as reduced risk in later life of ovarian cancer, breast cancer and hip fractures.⁴⁵

Early contact between mother and baby has a beneficial effect on feeding. Feeding within the first two hours after birth increases the duration of breastfeeding when compared to a delay of four hours or more¹⁷

For maximum protection against infections, the World Health Organisation recommends that "women exclusively breastfeed for at least 6 months, with the introduction of complementary foods and continued breastfeeding thereafter".⁴⁶ Breastfeeding can continue for as long as the mother and infant wish.

For mothers who wish to supplement breastfeeding with formula milk:

• mothers are 5 times more likely to give up breastfeeding if they give supplements within a week of birth¹⁷
• mothers are twice as likely to give up breastfeeding if they give supplements within 2 weeks of birth¹⁷
• women who wish to continue breastfeeding are advised that it is better not to supplement with formula feeds for at least six weeks, while the body establishes the milk supply³⁹
• A baby and mother who are mixed feeding will continue to gain health benefits from breastfeeding, so long as it continues for at least 3-4 months³⁹

Premature babies are at particular risk of serious infections, including necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). Formula fed premature babies are 20 times more likely to get NEC than those who are fully fed on breast milk.⁴⁷

Many factors influence a woman's decision to breastfeed, including level of education, cultural background, personal experience of breastfeeding and the advice and support she receives from health professionals, friends and family. All women should be encouraged to breastfeed, but where they have made an informed choice to bottle feed, that decision should be respected.³⁹

Women who wish to breastfeed need to receive social support⁴⁶ and have access to accurate information and practical help.¹⁷

Such help is available from:

• the National Childbirth Trust Breastfeeding Helpline, on 0870 444 8708
• La Leche League 24 hour helpline, on 020 7242 1278
• the Breastfeeding Network Supporterline, on 0870 900 8787

[This research summary includes information from the following leaflet produced by MIDIRS:

Informed Choice for Professionals No.7 - Breastfeeding or bottlefeeding: Helping women to choose.

For details on how to purchase the Informed Choice leaflets go to the Informed Choice website.]

Click the "back" button on your browser to return to the previous page.