What’s better – breastfeeding or formula?
It seems like an easy question, but it’s not always that simple.
There’s no doubt that breastfeeding (or pumped breast milk) has many advantages, which have led the largest global health organizations to recommend it as the best nutrition for your baby. Breast milk provides the most balanced nutrition, and different formula producers try to come as close as possible to it.
The official recommendation is to breastfeed until the age of 6 months and then continue with complementary breastfeeding until the age of one year (or longer). Partial breastfeeding is also better than no breastfeeding at all.
But we must remember that not all mothers (and not all families) want to or are able to breastfeed.
I sometimes feel that many mothers breastfeed due to pressure (either personal or external), even though breastfeeding doesn’t suit them at all and, at times, is ineffective.
In addition, breastfeeding has its limitations, which are just as important to discuss as the advantages.
I believe every mother and family should decide what is best for them.
I will repeat what is most important: breastfeeding is the best nutrition for babies and is one of the most wonderful things a mother can give her baby. But, on the other hand, countless babies are formula-fed due to one reason or another and grow up to be healthy children and adults.
For example, when we talk about the reduced risk of ear infections in breastfed babies (as proven by studies), we must remember that this is based on a study that compared 1,000 breastfed babies to 1,000 formula-fed babies and found statistically fewer ear infections in the breastfed group.
This does not mean that every formula-fed baby will have ear infections, nor does it imply that breastfed babies are completely immune to ear infections. Therefore, we must differentiate between large studies, even those that achieve statistically significant results, and real life with your own baby.
Benefits of Breastfeeding Over Formula
Immunity Benefits – The bottom line is that statistically, a breastfed baby gets sick less. They experience fewer gastrointestinal infections, ear infections, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.
Benefits in Encouraging Growth Factors
Metabolic Benefits – Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of obesity, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (such as Crohn’s disease), and high blood pressure.
Allergic Benefits – Breastfed babies are less likely to develop allergies, including skin atopy and asthma.
Breastfed babies were found to have lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (read more here, its importent!).
In addition, fewer tumors, fewer lymphomas and leukemias, fewer hospitalizations, and lower child mortality rates.
Financial Benefits –Breastfeeding is more cost-effective than buying formula.
Don’t forget the advantages for the breastfeeding woman – a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.
The success of breastfeeding depends on many factors that this review could not fully encompass. These factors range from national efforts to encourage breastfeeding, to transforming hospitals and neonatal units into breastfeeding-friendly environments, to the efforts of individual families.
Limitations of Breastfeeding Compared with Formula
There are few maternal health conditions, particularly some infectious diseases, where breastfeeding is not advised.
There are also certain neonatal diseases where breastfeeding is not recommended, such as rare metabolic diseases like galactosemia.
Breastfeeding is a low source of vitamin D for the baby. This is why, in some countries, there is a recommendation to supplement breastfeeding babies with vitamin D. Some countries also recommend vitamin D supplementation for formula-fed babies.
Pain and Infection – Breastfeeding can be associated with nipple discomfort and pain, breast congestion, and infections (mastitis) in 2-3% of breastfeeding mothers. You can read more here about mastitis in breastfeeding mothers.
Suboptimal Intake of the Neonate – Because it is difficult to quantify the amount of milk a baby receives during breastfeeding and due to other factors (such as insufficient milk production, difficulty establishing breastfeeding, etc.), weight gain in breastfed babies can be slower on average than in formula-fed babies. Naturally, with the right instruction and close follow-up (including weight measurements), there is no reason for inadequate feeding of neonates. However, not all families have adequate support, and this can sometimes happen.
I recommend that all families in which breastfeeding is the primary form of feeding not miss weight follow-up in well-baby clinics or with the treating physician, particularly during the first 1-2 weeks of life, to ensure that the baby’s growth is on track.
Breast Milk-Related Jaundice – A substance in breast milk inhibits the liver’s ability to metabolize bilirubin (the substance that causes neonatal jaundice). This type of jaundice is usually not dangerous but may require medical surveillance or phototherapy.
In summary:
In conclusion, breastfeeding should be the default option for babies’ nutrition.
However, if it doesn’t suit you or just doesn’t work, formula is a perfectly appropriate alternative. And remember, no matter what you decide, it doesn’t change the fact that you are a great, loving mother.
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