BREASTFEEDING & BOTTLE-FEEDING - A COMPARISON

Every family, woman and baby is different.  Our goal at Breastfeeding World is to supply you with the information and resources you can use to make informed choices for your family, yourself and your baby.  The following paper aims to inform you about the differences between breastfeeding and bottle feeding and compare Artificial Infant Milk (AIM aka formula) and breastmilk.  We hope you will find it helpful and informative.  The topics covered are:

Nutritional Considerations 

Brain Development

"Live" Food Considerations

Immunological Considerations

Digestive Health & Allergy Considerations

Mortality Rate Considerations

Developmental Considerations

Maternal Health & Wellbeing

Cost Considerations

What the American Academy of Pediatrics Has to Say

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nutritional Considerations 

Mammal milk is designed with nutritional components that are specific to the needs of each species for survival.  For example, whale milk has a 40% fat content which helps the calf to build a thick layer of blubber so it can keep warm in ocean waters. Cow milk’s main component is an amino acid composition that gives cows the large, strong bones needed to run quickly.  Human milk is rich in Taurine, a substance which promotes brain growth that provides our species with the intelligence needed for survival.

Brain Development

 Most artificial infant milk uses cow milk as a base and is virtually absent of Taurine.  This explains why recent studies show that fully AIM-fed children have IQs 5-8 points lower than children who are fully breastfed.  To provide some perspective, the uproar of lead poisoning in the 1970s was a heated issue because lead poisoning was shown to decrease children’s IQs by 5 points.

"Live" Food Considerations

Mothers’ bodies are designed to alter breastmilk composition to meet the constantly changing needs of her baby. When breastfeeding mothers “assign” one breast to a newborn and the other for a toddler, her body will produce two uniquely different milk compositions specific for each child’s needs.  Protein, fat, carbohydrate and other nutritional components of the breastmilk change as the baby grows.  With more than three hundred separate components, AIM makers will never be able to duplicate the complex structure of human milk. 

Immunological Considerations

 When the child latches on to the breast, the mammary glands of the mother detect microbes brought to it by the infant. The mother’s body responds by producing specific immunity factors for her baby that are delivered through her breastmilk.  The mother herself does not need to be exposed to the microbe for this process to work. This is why a mother pumping her milk, if at all possible, should try to have the baby’s mouth directly contact the nipple so that the antibody mechanism can work properly.  This is also why it is recommended that an infant is fed freshly pumped milk before they are fed frozen breastmilk. 

Another interesting fact about this mechanism is that as the number of feedings decrease, the antibody level in the breastmilk increases.  Even one feeding every other day for a child will provide protection.  For an ill or premature infant, the immunity of breastmilk can mean its survival.  The helpless feeling of the mother with an ill or premature infant can be eased by her ability to provide this unique food for her baby. 

Digestive Health & Allergy Considerations

Newborn infants have delicate digestive systems, which can be stressed by cows milk and the artificial additives used to make AIM.  Parents of AIM-fed babies often complain that their children experience gas, constipation and other digestive problems which can be very uncomfortable for the baby.  AIM additives are often allergens to a newborn and many parents spend lots of time, money and energy switching brands of AIM in an attempt to minimize these side effects.

Breastmilk, on the other hand, has a beneficial affect on gut flora, the delicate lining of the digestive tract.  Colostrum, known as liquid gold, is the substance in the breast that is present before breastmilk is produced.  Colostrum is high in protein, fat and antibodies.  Colostrum has components that help seal and protect the digestive tract of the newborn and help to clean out meconium in the first few days of life.  Breastmilk itself helps prevent diarrhea, aids in digestion, has natural laxative properties and therefore is beneficial to the child’s general health.  The spit up of a breastfed baby does not have an unpleasant odor, as it would with artificial infant milk, making caring for the infant more appealing.  Stools are also not offensive like bottle-fed babies.  

Mortality Rate Considerations

Many people misconstrue breastfeeding as tying a parent down due to the need of the mother to constantly hold the baby.  We must remember that human babies are born the least mature of all mammals and need to be frequently held and fed to insure their survival.  A recent study showed that parents who carried their babies in arms or in a carrier found a 43% reduction in crying and fussing over babies who were carried less.  There are also numerous studies showing how infants who are breastfed are automatically held and touched more frequently that their bottle-fed counterparts.  As a result, breastfed babies have lower mortality rates. 

Developmental Considerations

Breastfed babies have been shown to have better fine and large motor development, and better balance and speech than their bottle-fed counterparts.  It is thought that this is due to the constant touching, holding and skin to skin contact with the mother.  It is thought that the variety of positions a breastfed baby is held in during feedings stimulates both the right and left side of the brain as the baby is switched from breast to breast.  Breastfeeding also positions the baby in the exact distance at which they can focus clearly.  Bottle-fed babies are usually fed in one position, tend to be fed while fully clothed (resulting in almost no skin to skin contact), are fed while sitting on a pillow or in a seat, and are often in positions that do not allow them to make eye contact the person feeding them.

Studies show that breastfed babies have fewer dental problems than bottle-fed babies because the muscles and actions required to breastfeed contribute to proper jaw and oral development.  Bottle-fed babies are more prone to needing orthodontic care later in life. 

Maternal Health & Wellbeing

Due to the loss of benefits breastfeeding has on the mother, AIM feeding has risks mothers should be aware of and consider.  For example, breastfeeding causes frequent uterine contractions after birth which return the uterus to its pre-pregnancy state quickly.  Perhaps this is why studies show that mothers who AIM feed have significantly increased risks of  uterine, endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancer.   Mothers who AIM feed also have higher incidence of breast cancer, compared to their breastfeeding counterparts.  AIM feeding mothers have a harder time loosing pregnancy weight, loose time and money purchasing and preparing AIM and have higher incidences of urinary tract infections, chronic hepatitis and osteoporosis. Diabetic mothers who AIM feed miss the benefits of reduced insulin requirements as a result of lactation.  AIM feeding mothers also miss out on the natural family planning benefits of breastfeeding and the hormone-induced contentment breastfeeding brings.

 In terms of her wellbeing, breastfeeding mothers have an advantage to deal with stresses created by the constant demands of a newborn.  During each breastfeeding session the mother receives several releases of a hormone called prolactin into her bloodstream.  Prolactin, called the mothering hormone, relaxes the breastfeeding mother giving which encourages bonding with the child.

Cost Considerations

Breastmilk is free and always readily available.  AIM costs about $1.00 per ounce with tax, excluding the cost of bottles, nipples, liners, time and gas driving to and from the store.  The true cost of AIM, however, extends far beyond its purchase price due to the increases in the risk of many illness and diseases for both mothers and babies.  One must consider the cost associated with higher incidence of illness, hospitalization and death for AIM-fed infants as well as the greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), gastrointestinal illness and disease.  There are quality of life costs for AIM-fed babies who are more prone to developing juvenile diabetes and insulin-dependent diabetes, respiratory diseases, ear infections and allergies.  Parents and children pay real and intangible costs due to AIM-fed babies having higher incidences of obesity, heart disease, childhood leukemia and lymphoma not to mention score lower scores on intelligence tests compared to their breastfed counterparts. Tangible and intangible, the cost of AIM  is significant.

It is estimated that US healthcare costs could be reduced by $2.7 billion per year if mothers fed their babies breastmilk exclusively for the first three months of their babies’ lives, even when accounting for the expense of additional maternity leave and lactation support for breastfeeding mothers.  $630 million could be saved due to infant diarrhea, $31 million for respiratory syncytial virus (the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among children under one year of age), not to mention ear infections, vomiting, and necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious gastrointestinal disease predominately affecting premature infants). 

What the American Academy of Pediatrics Has to Say

“Extensive research, especially in recent years, documents diverse and compelling advantages to infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and the use of human milk for infant feeding. These include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits. Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it. The breastfed infant is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short- and long-term outcomes. Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for babies through at least the first birthday and longer when possible.”

 Sources:

Breastfeeding At A Glance- Facts Figures and Trivia About Lactation.  Dia L. Michael a, Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam, PhD.  Platypus Media 2001.
Lactation Consultant Reference Material.  The Lactation Institute, 2003.
American Academy of Pediatrics website (www.aap.org)

Home | Up | Classes & Information | Why Breastfeed | Breastfeeding Vs. Bottlefeeding | Breastfeeding & Work | Preparing for Breastfeeding | Choosing A Breast Pump | Increasing Milk Supply | Infant Feeding Guide | Pumping Tips | Milk Storage & Use | Nipple Pain | Milk Supply Demystified | Breastfeeding Professionals | Related Links | Authorized Dealer
Home Page

Disclaimer:  BreastfeedingWorld.com would like to remind you that any actions taken as a result of information obtained from this site are done so at the risk of the reader.  It is recommended that you discuss your plans with your doctor and your baby's doctor before taking any actions.  Please read our legal page.

Copyright © 2003 Rufina, Inc.