Here’s another reason to breastfeed your baby: It can help reduce ear infections and respiratory infections, in general.
A study published this spring in The Journal of Pediatrics found that 46 percent of infants get at least one ear infection by their first birthday – still the leading cause of infant sick visits and antibiotic prescriptions – but that’s down from at least 60 percent as recently as the 1990s.
According to the study, breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of both upper respiratory infections and ear infections in babies, and exclusive breastfeeding for at least three months, a longer duration of breastfeeding, and delayed start of exclusive formula feeding are all associated with a lower risk of ear infections.
That’s not news to Dr. James Hahn, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Aurora office.
“I’m the biggest breastfeeding proponent for a number of reasons,” he said. “Infections of all kinds are decreased with breastfeeding, not just ear infections. The incidence of pneumonia, RSV, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal illnesses and more serious infections like sepsis and meningitis are all decreased in breastmilk-fed babies versus formula-fed babies.”
Mom’s antibodies are passed to a baby through breastmilk, Hahn said, and formula can’t replicate that. “This is about passing on immunity to your baby.”
Despite this fact, Hahn says he still sees many kids who are formula-fed. “There are many reasons that some parents don’t breastfeed their babies,” he said. “There may be cultural reasons for formula feeding, an inadequate supply of breastmilk, or difficulty with breastfeeding itself. Your pediatrician or a lactation consultant can address many of these concerns.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed infants until at least 6 months of age because if can reduce babies’ risk of ear and respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, allergies, childhood obesity and diabetes.
