Side effects of NOT breastfeeding
Certainly I think by now we all know that for most mothers and babies, breastfeeding is the most complete nutrition and healthiest form of free babyfood anywhere. It can take some getting used to, it may take a lot of practice and time to get it right - but in the end, its worth it.
What we may not realise, is that we are subjecting our babies to problems if we choose not to breastfeed. Here is part of an article I hand out in my classes, which shows some of these side effects and how they can effect a non-breastfed child its whole life!
Gastrointestinal Illness At least 400 infants die annually in the
Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac are minimized in people who were breastfed.
Respiratory Illness. Between 500 and 600 infants die annually in the
formula fed infants.
Otitis Media occurs more frequently in infants who are not breastfed. Bacteremia and Meningitis There is a fourfold higher risk of bacteremia and meningitis among babies who are not breast-fed.
Juvenile Diabetes More than 100 studies indicate that breast-feeding can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes in children said Dr Cadwell.
Malignant Lymphomas A six- to eightfold increase in the risk for developing lymphomas among children younger than 15 years has been found in children who were not breastfed for at least 6 months.
Breast Cancer Having been breastfed as a child reduces breast cancer risk in women over 40 by more than 25%.
Pediatric News 33(1):37, 1999
March 29th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Thanks for this great article! Many women simply do not realize that formula use can potentially kill their baby. If more parents were armed with this information, then I am certain more would breastfeed for at least six months.