Is breast really best? Study finds babies fed on formula milk cry less and are easier to get to sleep
It is often said that breast is best. But bottle-fed babies are the best behaved.
A study of British infants found those who were breast-fed cried more, smiled and laughed less and were harder to soothe and get off to sleep than their formula-fed counterparts.
The Cambridge researchers however, say that the irritability linked to breastfeeding is only natural, and not a sign of stress or even necessarily hunger.
Instead, it is the baby’s way of bonding and seeking attention and security.
While bottle fed babies may seem more content, they may simply have eaten too much.
Like adults who comfort eat, they may have been calmed by eating, or drinking, more than they should.
A crying baby may simply be seeking the comfort and closeness of its mother, researchers say
In one of the first studies of its kind, the temperament of more than 300 babies was assessed when they were three months old.
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This was done by asking their mothers to answer almost 200 questions about their children from how they responded to being washed and dressed to how easy they were to get down to sleep.
The results varied little between boys and girls, socio-economic status of the parents or the mother’s age.
However, there was a clear link with the method of feeding, the journal PLoS ONE reports.
Researcher Ken Ong, of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, said that the cries of a breast-fed baby don’t necessarily mean it is hungry.
Instead, the child may simply be seeking the comfort and closeness of its mother.
Dr Ong, a paediatrician, said: ‘If anything, what might account for the difference is that bottle-fed babies possibly get more nutrients than is typical.
‘Research suggests that these infants may be over-nourished and gain weight too quickly.
‘Our findings are essentially similar to other stages of life; people often find that eating is comforting.
‘Rather than being put off breast-feeding, parents should have more realistic expectations of normal infant behaviour and should receive better understanding and support to cope with difficult infant behaviours if needed.
‘These approaches could potentially promote successful breastfeeding, because currently many mothers attempt to breastfeed but give up after the first few weeks.’
Breastfeeding has been shown to help protect babies against obesity, eczema and ear, chest and tummy bugs.
Avoiding formula can cut the odds of child being a fussy eater in later life, as well as cut the woman’s odds of some cancers and help with weight loss.
Despite this, Britain has one of the lowest breast-feeding rates in Europe.
Around three-quarters of new mothers start breastfeeding but by four months, this number has dropped to just a one-third.
Professor Nick Wareham, director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, said that while the results don’t prove breastfeeding to be the cause of the babies’ irritability, learning more about the subject could help boost breastfeeding rates.
But other said that in some cases only a bottle will satisfy a baby’s hunger.
Clare Byam-Cook, a former midwife who has taught celebrities such as Kate Winslet and Natasha Kaplinsky how to feed their babies, said: ‘Breast is definitely best – as long as mother and baby are thriving on it.
‘But if your baby is crying and unsettled and when you give it a bottle it becomes calm and settled, then a bottle is best.
‘If you offer the baby a bottle and he doesn’t settle, then something else is the problem and the mother needs to find out what it is.’
Offer Your Baby The MOst Excellent Formula
Before parents can select the best baby formula, parents have a mind-set that ‘breast feeding’ is the most desirable method of supplying complete nutrients to the newborns. However, for plenty of people, whether mother or infant or both – that is not just the only choice. But nothing to worry as baby formulas has emerged to a class-apart art, all thanks to hi-fi science. Given below are some of the best baby formulae available other than breast feeding that help in the growth and development of baby’s body, bones, brain and immune system:
Soy-based formula is an invigorating choice. They are valuable specifically for those infants who lack the enzyme to appropriately split up the lactose (natural sugar present in the milk of cow).
The other best baby formula is an exclusive one known as protein hydrolysate. This formula is an ideal option for those infants who exhibit some kind of milk- allergic reactions. The proteins in this special formula are already conked into products that will result from the natural digestion. It serves as a lifesaver for unfortunate infants that are born with genes of milk sensitivity.
If parents are well versed with the advantages of omega 3 vital fatty acids, then those parents will come across a broad assortment of baby foods which are supplemented extensively with DHA infant formula. Now-a-days it is very easy to get DHA infant formulae in products as the baby food corporation is instant to respond to the customers demand. The foods with DHA help in the cognitive development, memory retention, communication ability, problem solving, psychomotor development and enhanced visual acuity of the babies.
Organic toddler food renders healthy food and complete set of nutrients for infants. The advantages of organic toddler are in the superior value of healthful food for babies. In case the mother is a busy mom like most moms in the present days, feeding the toddler the best foods is sky high on the parent’s priority list. The parents can feed their kuchie-poohs with organic food like organic veggies and fruits. These organic fruits and vegetables deliver more content of antioxidants and nutrients than the foods treated with harmful pesticides. Organic toddler food contains zero additives, preservatives and coloring.
