QUESTION: I exclusively breastfed my daughter for the first three months and then began offering her some supplemental bottles. I work full time and pump at least once a day. I don't seem to have any problems pumping. My milk has come in easily and we both seem to enjoy the nursing experience. The pediatrician started her on cereal around 3 1/2 months to help her bowels become more regular. She currently is about 75% breastfed.

My problem or concern is that she has already had two ear infections (in the last six weeks) and now she is have asthma difficulties (I currently have been diagnosed with asthma for about 12 years, which has led to pneumonia. I have continued with my prenatal vitamins and also take my asthma medicine regularly. I have always thought breastfeeding would prevent these illnesses. But my daughter is now on her third round of antibiotics, am I doing something wrong, should I discontinue breastfeeding or change something in our routine?

I also have a 4 year old who attends preschool. I am very discouraged and am questioning rather I should continue to breastfeed? We have been to the pediatrician as much as 3 times in a week between the two children. Your advise would be appreciated.

I am sorry you are feeling so frustrated, and can certainly understand it! I had a colicky baby who never slept much more than an hour at a time, screamed 24 hours a day--and did this for months. At the time, I felt "cheated" because I thought breastfed babies weren't supposed to get colic!

A close friend of mine nursed her daughter for over three years. Megan (who is now 15) has had problems with asthma for years. However, my friend is so glad that she breastfed as long as she did because she knows that her child's condition would have been far worse with formula feeding.

Breastfeeding does not guarantee a healthy child. However, it does guarantee a "healthier" child than you would ever have had if you had formula-fed! I have spent the past 15 years of my life studying breastfeeding. The more I study, the more fascinated I become. It is the advantages of breastfeeding that interests me most. I could start lecturing on it now and probably talk for many hours on the subject! There is no end--studies continue showing additional benefits to moms, dads, babies, and even communities. We know that, even though breastfed babies still develop allergies, the severity is greatly reduced and the onset is often put off. One study completed last year showed that breastfeeding for a year could actually put off some allergies for 17 years. Absolutely incredible! There is no way to know just how sick your child might have been had you been exclusively formula-feeding. She may have had constant ear infections for months (otitis media is three to four times more prevalent in formula fed babies.) She may even have been hospitalized (breastfed babies are only 1/10th as likely as formula fed babies to be hospitalized in the U.S).

No one knows the answer to that question...nor do we need to speculate. There are many risks associated with formula-feeding, but you won't read about them in most parenting magazines, nor will you hear about them from your pediatrician. But these risks are very real, and the studies are all out there. We only have to read them. The United States Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has estimated that four children out of every 1000 die because they were not breastfed.

The parents of these children will probably never realize that breastfeeding may have saved their baby's lives. Most doctors do not want to make women feel guilty, so they will not tell you the risks of not breastfeeding. For a good article about this, click on http://www.erols.com/cindyrn/guilt.htm  

Chronic ear infections are often an indicator of allergy. You might want to contact a pediatric allergist if you continue to have problems. Have you removed dairy from your diet? It might be worth a try. There are a lot of doctors now saying that dairy products are not necessarily the best thing for a breastfeeding mother to consume--or anyone for that matter. I urge you to continue breastfeeding your child! You have done something so very valuable for both yourself and your baby by breastfeeding. And I know it hasn't been easy being an employed mother. What you are doing is very important--so important in fact that both UNICEF and the World Health Organization both advise breastfeeding to "two years and beyond." You should pat yourself on the back, say "Job well done," and then continue on! Good luck.

Cher Sealy, RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL

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