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AboutBreastfeeding Protects Against Ear Infections
Breastfeeding Protects Against Ear Infections
Your breastfed child will not only have fewer
ear infections, but protection against other infections. Breastfeeding provides
protection against diarrhea, gastrointestinal and respiratory infections; in fact,
infections of every kind.
But please don't take our word for it. You can follow our references for such
journals as the "American Journal of Public Health", the "American Journal of
Epidemiology", the "Journal of Pediatrics", the "Journal of Infectious Diseases" and
more.
Preceding the references is a review of a study on Breastfeeding and Ear infections
produced by the medical journal: "Infectious
Diseases in Children."
Breast Milk and Ear Infections courtesy of 'The Compleat Mother', Winter
1996
Its well known that breastfeeding,
especially for the first four months of an infant's life, is associated with fewer ear
infections. But is that due to the breast milk itself, or is it because of some difference
between the way breast-fed and bottle-fed infants nurse?
It has been theorized that something about the way breast-fed infants nurse helps keep the
ears' eustachian tubes functioning more effectively, protecting the ears against
infection. But a new study of 315 infants who were fed breast milk from a bottle shows
that these infants had fewer ear infections than infants who got formula from a bottle.
Conclusion: it's not just the mechanics of breast feeding but something in the breast milk
itself that helps protect against ear infections, says the medical journal Infectious
Diseases in Children.
Otitis Media(infection of the middle ear)
Otitis Media is the most frequent diagnosis recorded for
children who visit physicians for illness. Two out of three
children under the age of 3 experience at least one episode of
acute otitis media. An inner ear infection is the most common cause
of hearing loss in children. The infection is most often cause by bacteria,
although is some cases, it is viral. Breastfeeding
has been shown to prevent otitis media in children. Some researchers suggest this is because when a mother
breastfeeds her child, she passes immunities to her baby that
help prevent otitis media. Researchers from the State University of New York's
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences revealed how
exclusively breastfed children have a decreased risk of otitis
media in a study published in October 1997. More than 300 infants were included the study,
in which physical examinations were done and information about the exclusiveness of breastfeeding, parental
smoking, day care attendance and family history of ear
infections was collected. The researchers found that the incidence of first ear
infections for infants between six and 12 months of age
increased from 25 percent to 51 percent for those exclusively
breastfed. The incidence for formula-fed infants of the same age
increased from 54 percent to 76 percent. Peak incidence of acute otitis media and otitis media
effusion (when pus is discharged from the inner ear) was
inversely related to rates of breastfeeding beyond three months
of age. Infants who where exclusively formula fed had a
twofold elevated risk of first episodes of inner ear infections
compared to infants who were exclusively breastfed for at least
six months. The researchers found that formula-feeding was the
most significant predictor of inner ear infections, although the
amount of time spent at day care was also a risk factor. Because inner ear infections often result from upper
respiratory infections, and children who spend time in day care
often get more upper respiratory infections, day care children
contract a lot of inner ear infections. The ultimate conclusion made by the researchers was
that breastfeeding, even for short durations (three months)
reduced the onset of otitis media episodes in infancy.
Other Research
A 1990 study on the risk factors for recurrent acute otitis
media and respiratory infection in infancy found that short
durations of breastfeeding is a significant risk of recurrent
middle ear infections. Source: Alho, O., "Risk Factors for Recurrent Acute
Otitis Media and Respiratory Infection in Infancy". INT J PED OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY
1990; 19:151-61
A 1989 study determined that male gender, sibling history and a
lack of breastfeeding significantly increased the risk for acute
otitis media. Source: Teele, D.W., Apidemilogy of Otitis Media During the First Seven
Years of Life in Greater Boston: A prospective, Cohort Study". J of INFEC DIS.1989.
A Swedish study done in 1994 found non-breastfed children ages
2, 6 and 10 months had significantly more episodes of inner ear
infections than breastfed children of the same age. Source: Aniansson, G et al. A prospective cohort study on breastfeeding and otitis media in
Swedish Infants. Pediatr Infect Dis. J. 1994; 13; 183-88
More Studies.. References to
studies showing Breastfeeding's effectiveness against Diarrhea,
types of Influenza, Necrotizing Enternal Colitis, Herpes Simplex,
Gastronenteritis and more!
Diarrhea
Children less than 12 months of age had a lower incidence of acute diarrheal disease
during the months they were being breastfed than children that were fed with formula
during the same period. Sources: Lerman,Y. et al. "Epidemiology of acute diarrheal diseases in
children in a high standard of living settlement in Israel". Pediatr Infect Dis J
1994; 13(2);116-22.
Huffman, S. and C. Combest. Role of breastfeeding in the prevention and treatment of
diarrhoea. J Diarrhoeal Dis Res 1990; 8(3):68-81.
Victora, C,. et al., Infant feeding and deaths due to diarrhea: a case-control study, Am.
J. Epid., 1989; 129(5)
Haemophilus Influenza
In study of risk factors for primary invasion of
haemophilus influenza, type B disease, breast feeding was protective of infants less than
6 months of age. Sources: Cochi, S.L. "Primary Invasive Haemophilus Influenza Type B Disease,
A Population Based Assessment of Risk Factors". Journal of Pediatrics 1986
Harabuchi, Y. et al. Human Milk secretory IgA antibody to nontypeable Haemophilus
influenzae: possible protective effects against nasopharyngeal colonization. J. Pediatr.
1994; 124; 193-98 [Formula lacks specific secretory IgA antibody present in breastmilk,
suggests a mechanism by which formula-fed infants have higher incidence of infection.]
Enhances Vaccine Response
A 1990 study found that the antibody levels of immunized infants were significantly higher in
breastfed babied than in formula-fed babies. These findings are strong evidence that breastfeeding
enhances the active humoral immune response in the first year of life. Source: Papst, H.F. ,
Spady, D.W. "Effect of Breast Feeding on Antibody Response to Conjugate
Vaccine". Lancet, 1990
The breast fed group had significantly higher antibody levels than two formula fed groups
together. Breast fed infants thus showed better serum and secretory responses to perioral
and parenteral vaccines than the formula fed, whether with a conventional or low-protein
content. Van-Coric, M. "Antibody Responses to Parental & Oral Vaccines Where
Impaired by Conventional and Low-Protein Formulas as Compared to Breast Feeding". Acta Paediatr Scand 1990; 79: 1137-42
Human milk can transfer specific or nonspecific immunities to the external mucosal surface
of the intestine and possibly to the respiratory tract of the newborn. The acquisition of
such passive immunity is particularly important in the early neonatal period when the
immune system is immature. Chang, S.J. "Antimicrobial Proteins of Maternal and Cord
Sera and Human Milk in Relation to Maternal Nutritional Status". A. M. J. CLIN NUTR,
1990.
Necrotizing Enternal Colitis
Among babies born at more than 30 weeks gestation, confirmed necrotizing enternal
colitis was rare in those whose diet included breast milk; it was 20 times more common in
those fed formula only. Lucas, A., Cole, T.J., "Breast Milk and Neonatal Necrotizing
Enteral Colitis". Lancet 1990; 336:1519-23
Herpes Simplex
Mothers milk could play a role in the protection of newborns from Herpes Simplex virus
II contamination. Lopez, I., "Neutralizing Activity Against Herpes Simplex Virus in
Human Milk". Breast Feeding REV 1990; 11(2): 56-58
Respiratory Syncytical Virus (RSV)
Breast feeding was associated with a lower incidence of RSV infection during the first
year of life. Holberg,C.J., "Risk Factors for RSV Associated lower Respiratory
Illnesses in the First Year of Life". AM J Epidemiol 1991; 133 (135-51)
Respiratory Infections
The authors presented results found in infants with two or more episodes of acute
chronic bronchitis. They found that approximately twice as many bottle fed infants
presented with the problem as those who were breast fed. de Duran, C.M. "Cytologic
Diagnosis of Milk Micro Aspiration". IMM ALLERGY PRACTICE 1991; xiii (10);402-5
There was a strong negative effect modification by breast feeding: relative odds of
respiratory illness with maternal smoking were 7 times higher among children who were
never breast fed then among those who were breastfed. Woodwar, A. "Acute Respiratory
Illness in Adelaide Children: Breast Feeding Modifies the Effect of Passive Smoking". J Epidemiol in Comm Health 1990;44:224-30
Howie PW, et al. Protective effect of breastfeeding against infection. BMJ 300:11-16,
1990. [The added risk of formula-feeding can account for 7% of all infants hospitalized
for respiratory infections.]
Gastroenteritis
>Duffy LC, et al. The effects of infant feeding on rotavirus-induced gastroenteritis: a
prospective study. Am J Pub Health 76:259-263, 1986. [In industrialized nations,
formula-fed infants have a 3-4 fold risk of diarrheal illness. Moderate to severe
rotavirus gastroenteritis is five times more common in formula-fed infants.]
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