Human milk apparently actively influences
the immune system of your child by several different mechanisms. Some features of
this improved immune response for children who have been breastfed for a prolonged period
may last for a life time. We don't know all of the reasons breastmilk provides this protection, but we can measure
the results.
Cardiopulmonary (Heart Related)
Infants fed by
bottle are at increased risk (during feeding) of cardiopulmonary disturbances, including prolonged airway
closure and obstructed respiratory breaths due to repeated swallowing.
Source: Koenig JS, Davies AM, Thach BT. Coordination of breathing, sucking and swallowing during
bottle feedings in human infants. J Appl Physiol 69: 1623-1629, 1990.
Pre-term infants have shown decreased oxygen saturation
accompanied by apnea (absent airflow for >20 sec). Term infants can experience oxygen saturation below
90% when bottlefeeding. Nine of 50 healthy-term infants in one study experienced bradycardia during bottlefeeding. Six of these episodes were preceded by apnea, three
showed hypopnea (marked reduction in ventilation) and one had central apnea (no
respiratory efforts)
Source: Matthew O. Breathing patterns of pre-term infants during
bottlefeeding: role of milk
flow. J Pediatr 119:960-965, 1991.
Matthew O,
Clark ML, Ponske MH. Apnea, bradycardia, and cyanosis during oral feeding in term
neonates. J Pediatr 106:857, 1985.
Crohn's Disease
In this study, lack of breastfeeding was a risk factor associated with later development
of Crohn's disease.
Source: Koletzko, S., "Role of Infant Feeding Practices in Development of
Crohn's Disease in Childhood". Br Med J, 1989
Hodgkin's Disease
There is a statistically significant protective effect against Hodgkin's disease among children
who are breastfed at least eight months compared with children who were breastfed no more
than two months.
Source: Schwartzbaum, J. "An Exploratory Study of Environmental and Medical
Factors Potentially Related to Childhood Cancer." Medical & Pediatric Oncology,
1991; 19 (2):115-21.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
Preliminary data from researchers at the University of North Carolina and Duke University comparing
54 children with JRA and a control group without JRA of similar age and race indicates
that children who were breastfed were only 40% as likely to develop JRA.
Source: "Mother's
Milk: An Ounce of Prevention?" Arthritis Today May-June 1994
Diabetes Mellitus
Children who developed IDDM in New South Wales, Australia were
matched with healthy children (ratio 1:2) of the same sex and age
for comparison. Those who were exclusively breastfed during their first
three months of life had a 34% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who were not
breastfed. Children given cow's milk-based formula in their first three months were 52%
more likely to develop IDDM than those not given cow's milk formula
Sources: Diabetes Care
1994;17:1381-1389, 1488-1490.
Borch-Johnson, K., et al., Relation between breastfeeding and incidence of
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Lancet 1984; 2(8411).
Mayer EJ, et al. Reduced risk of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among breastfed
children. Diabetes 37:1625-1632, 1988 [Formula feeding accounts for as much as 26% of
insulin depended diabetes mellitis in children.]
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