Scientific research links for DH please!

[laumiere]

My DH is wanting scientific research into the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs bottlefeeding, as he's fed up with being given assumptions by health visitors etc with no explanation or evidence.

(He's also not interested in the 'psychological benefits' angle as so much psychological research is subjective)

I'm sure there is plenty about, but it seems obvious - FF is an artificial substitute for BM. BM is perfectly suited to meeting the baby's nutritional needs including hydration as its components change depending on the baby's needs. FM is always the same, hence needing to give water/constipation etc.
It is known that BM transfers antibodies from the mother to the baby helping to protect them in the vital early months.
BF babies also regulate their own food intake and so cannot be over or underfed, as long as there is no supply issue. FF babies do not.
BM is easier, cheaper, beneficial for the mother physically (helps uterus to contract, helps smooth hormonal changes post partum, helps lose weight) not to mention psychological benefits.

The pros of bottle feeding are that is keeps babies alive and growing if BF cannot be provided, whether due to lack of ability or inclination. It allows mum to take a break from baby but if expressing is feasible - so does expressing.

I'm saying this as a FF mum, BTW.

your last sentence makes me wonder why he needs specific evidence on the psychological benefits. Is he doubting that they exist?

There are over 10,000 separate pieces of research showing the physiological risks of formula feeding. There are no benefits to breastfeeding because breastfeeding is just well, normal.

laumiere, I am sure we can help, but why does he need hand-holding like this? If he's a normally intelligent person, with use of the internet, why doesn't he do the research himself? Google as they say, is his friend. Why should be be expecting you to ask a talkboard about it? I hope this does not sound overly critical of you, but I do wonder what lies behind someone's need for scientific research to be supplied, into something that is not in the least controversial.

I would also wonder how well he would accept even gold-plated-proof-on-a-stick if he thinks that psychological research is not acceptable because it is 'subjective'. Psychology is a science, and research in it has to follow the same scientific rules as any other discipline. You might study 'feelings' differently from infection or illness, because of the subjectivity element, but that does not mean 'feelings' should be discounted.

If, for example, we found 1000 women who had all ff and bf, and 950 of them said 'breastfeeding makes me feel better about myself as a mother'....would that be discounted because it is all 'subjective'?

Tiktok: he's perfectly happy to go look it up, I offered to ask Mumsnet as first stop to the subject, as I've not yet found a web resource with a simple pros/cons list for each form of feeding with links to evidence, and most resources tend to not put the other side across. I thought maybe an MNer would know of one.

As for the other point you raise, I would hold up the NCT 'Reasons to be proud' sheet - for example where it says bfing is a good way for the mother to reconnect with the child when working: according to whom? Is this just common sense? A lot of the info we've been given during the course of my 2 pregnancies has been presented as fact with no supporting evidence.

Foxytocin: do you mean there's no risks to bf as opposed to benefits?

She means breastfeeding is the physiological norm like breathing.

Laumiere,

Something about your email worried me a little. Is your DH trying to influence your decision about whether or not to BF you baby? He does know that it is not up to him to review the evidence and let you know if it passes muster before you make your decision, doesn't he?

On the other hand, I once had a spectacular row with a good friend and father to be who had found visiting the mw v depressing because he felt that his DW was being "bullied into" bfing. All I said was that - from a health pov - there wasn't really a "balanced argument" to be had, because all the evidnce was in favour of bf. He was v cross with me. I think he was being a bit control freaky (not so much over his DW's decisions, but over the situation of pregnancy and impending parenthood. And what parent-to-be hasn't felt like that?). But also concerned about how his DW might feel if she couldn't bf. (He had friends who had had real problems). And frustrated because the mw had not come across well. Perhaps it is hard for men.

But the upshot was that his DW bf with no problems, and is training to be a bfc. And he is now a lot better informed...

Breastfeeding is the normal way to feed a baby.
Just like walking on 2 legs is the normal way for humans to walk around.

So there are no advantages to breastfeeding just like there is no advantage to walking around on 2 legs.

What we are left with are physiological (and psychological risks), not benefits of breastfeeding.

There are therefore no, pros or cons of breastfeeding either.

here is an actual article that explains how bf'ing can help prevent PND, just as one benefit.

Obviously there are numerous other benefits in terms of maternal post-partum weight loss, infant health through immune protection from the maternal milk, infant gut flora set-up is better through using maternal milk, just for starters.

Hmmm.....ok, laumiere, the difficulty is that there is not another 'side' to this debate, at least not in clinical terms. Infant feeding is a health issue, and finding another 'side' ie one that says 'formula feeding is as good as/better than breastfeeding for the baby's health' is going to be impossible. You can probably think of other things that are similar - use of tobacco, for instance. There might well be an argument in favour of personal freedom to smoke and arguments against banning tobacco use from public spaces, but you won't find any evidence-based 'pros and cons' list of smoking as a health-related behaviour.

You could come up with a list that included 'cons' for breastfeeding such as 'mother does not like the idea of breastfeeding' but that belongs to the 'subjective' stuff your dh is not interested in

The 'reasons to be proud' sheet is referenced, and on my copy it says 'references can be obtained from [email protected]. The point you highlight - 'a lovely way to reconnect with the baby if you go to work' - is under the 'for mother' column, and is one of the few points that is not referenced. The clinical points are on the whole well-referenced. The point about reconnecting is clearly an opinion and an experience rather than a scientific statement, though - not in the least objectionable, surely. Opinion and experience are part of the choice to breastfeed, don't you agree?

If your DH is only interested in a pros and cons list, then there isn't a reliable one, as I say (I have seen poor quality ones, which have things like 'someone else can feed the baby' on the 'pro bottle' side - but that's not a health benefit to the baby).

For a health-based account of the risks of formula, a good starting place is here:

www.kellymom.com/newman/risks_of_formula_08-02.html

Hi Firepile,

In answer to your post I had an awful time with the bfing in my first pregnancy (DS1 was 31w and found using a bottle much easier) because we had nothing but approbrium thrown at us and no support in feeding a prem baby with cerebral palsy, which is not the same as feeding a non SN child. We swapped to formula at 8 weeks after the HV actually forbade me to stop breastfeeding and we and DS never looked back. I'm fully intending to give it another try with this baby, but if it doesn't work I shan't lose sleep over it.

Also, I misposted initially, DH asked for the following:

DH was specifically looking for proof that breastfeeding was better than formula FOR THE CHILD, AFTER the child was 6 months old and has all the antibodies they need.

laumiere, your story is very revealing....you're describing insensitive, ignorant and judgemental postnatal care (HV 'forbidding' you to stop breastfeeding??? Dear God....). Maybe what your dh is looking for is information to help you not feel 'bad' about not breastfeeding, and he's trying to be supportive of you, so if it doesn't work out, you don't become upset.

But the answer to criticism and opprobrium and judgementalism and lack of help about infant feeding is to wipe out the criticism etc and increase the knowledgable help, surely...not to somehow cast doubts on whether the whole premise of breastfeeding.

On a public health level there is no doubt that increased breastfeeding has a positive impact on a population. But individually, there may be other concerns that outweigh these, and make formula feeding a logical and beneficicial choice - and you won't find a 'pros and cons' list (which is genereralist) reflecting that specific circumstance.

Children continue to need antibodies far beyond six months!!!

BF is recommended to 2 yrs by the WHO.

Is breastmilk better than formula after six months?

yes, of course.

If we accept that children over six months still need relatively large amounts of milk, then why would another species' milk be better or even as good as one's own species?

There are some links here with references for bf after a year. Obv they apply to after 6 mths too

Anarchy, WHO recommend bf to 'two years and beyond' not just to 2 years

Yes I stand corrected am trying to MN whilst having hair done by a 5yo!

This is an interesting read (references at the end):

www.isrhml.org.umu.se/publicationbreastfeeding.pdf

Breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding after 6 months of age has been shown to be particularly important from the point of view of providing ongoing nutrition at times of illness when children commonly refuse other foods. When combined with the immunological boost provided at these times, it's importance is obvious.

If your dh would like a really thorough scientific read on the subject of breastfeeding with absolutely loads of referenced published papers then try this:

"Infant feeding: the physiological basis
Geneva, World Health Organization, 1990"

www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/en/index.html

the page that grendl pointed you towards also has a link to a pdf of a systematic review of the evidence for optimal duration of bf-ing.

www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/optimal_duration_of_exc_bfeeding_review_eng.pdf

The pertinent section in the introduction that might interest your HB and is fully referenced is:

The epidemiologic evidence is now overwhelming that,
even in developed countries, breastfeeding protects
against gastrointestinal and (to a lesser extent)
respiratory infection, and that the protective effect is
enhanced with greater duration and exclusivity of
breastfeeding.13?17 (?Greater duration and exclusivity?
is used in a general sense here; the references cited do
not pertain specifically to the subject of this review, i.e.,
the optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding.)
Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding has also been
associated with a reduced risk of the sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS)18 and of atopic disease,19?21 and some
studies even suggest acceleration of neurocognitive
development22?28 and protection against long-term
chronic conditions and diseases like obesity,29?31 type I
diabetes mellitus,32,33 Crohn?s disease,34 and lymphoma.
35,36 Maternal health benefits have also received
considerable attention in developed countries, including
possible protection against breast cancer among
premenopausal women,37-39 ovarian cancer,40 and osteoporosis.
41?43

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Do ask him to come back when he's read all of those .

wow - hope he has an Athens password

slight gatecrash here...

tiktok, what are your thoughts about bf helping pnd?

Her view's on this thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/622647-research-question-re-pnd-and -breastfeeding-tiktok-mears-any-contributions

thank you Grendle , will have a look

I can't get it to work, will try again.