Breast Feeding Final

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Running Head: BREASTFEEDING VS. BOTTLE-FEEDING

Which is better- Breast or Bottle?

Vanessa DeGraffenreid

Bryant & Stratton College

English 101

Professor Weis

12/10/2011



BREASTFEEDING VS. BOTTLE-FEEDING 2

Abstract

The topic I¶ve chosen for my paper is Breastfeeding vs. Bottle-feeding. I¶ve chosen this topic

because it¶s something that¶s personally of great interest to me. Breastfeeding to me is the

natural choice for women who have children. Bottle-feeding is understandable under a variety of

circumstances, but I am unable to fathom why a healthy woman wouldn¶t chose to breastfeed if

she is able. This paper will touch on a few different aspects of the choice of infant feeding.




The debate over infant feeding choices has been raging for decades. The question posed

is which is better- breast or bottle? According to Grantly Dick-Read,

³A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother,

food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding

satisfies all three´ (Delsette, 2003, p 1).

However, according to, Hanna Rosin

³In certain overachieving circles, breast-feeding is no longer a choice²it¶s a no-

exceptions requirement, the ultimate badge of responsible parenting. Yet the actual health

benefits of breast-feeding are surprisingly thin, far thinner than most popular literature

indicates. Is breast-feeding right for every family? Or is it this generation¶s vacuum

cleaner²an instrument of misery that mostly just keeps women down?´ (Lopez-Duran,

2009, p 1).

This paper will discuss a few factors of both alternatives; for example, what are the benefits, ease

of access, reasons behind the choice, nutrient factor, the amount of time consumed, the cost, and

finally the impact on the baby¶s intelligence. Breast-fed babies have lower rates of hospital

admission, ear infection, diarrhea, rashes, allergies and other medical problems than bottle-fed

tots (How much does breastfeeding reduce the risk of disease?, 2007, p 1).

An important benefit of breastfeeding is the bonding factor spent with the infant. It¶s a

indescribably special connection between mother and child. Another benefit of breastfeeding is

that breastfeeding helps the new mother lose weight faster. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk



BREASTFEEDING VS. BOTTLE-FEEDING

of breast cancer by 28% (How much does breastfeeding reduce the risk of disease?, 2007, p 1).

A benefit of bottle-feeding formula would be that it is a type of feeding that anyone can help out

with, as opposed to breast feeding, which also allows anyone to help out, as long as the mom

pumps first. Breastfeeding burns up about an extra 500 calories a day for the mom, or 3,500 a

week, which amounts to a one-pound per week weight loss just by breastfeeding.

The ease of access is an important factor in feeding choices because some families are

constantly on the go and need something quick. Breastfeeding is easily accessible, especially in

the middle of the night. However, when on the road, without a bottle made from breast-milk,

formula might be an easier alternative. The key here for moms who plan on breastfeeding is to

keep pumped milk handy in the event that the baby may need it.

Some women may have no other choice than to feed their children formula in some cases.

This because some women¶s milk may have dried up due to a medical condition or some women

might not be able to breastfeed due to diseases, like HIV-Aids (Degraffenreid, n.d., p 4).

Another problem that might arise is post-partum stress, and the mother might not want to even be

around the child, therefore bottle-feeding formula is the best alternative for the child.

The nutrient factors are another key element in the choice to breastfeed or bottle-feed.

Formula cannot provide as many nutrients as breastfeeding can, formula is just a supplement to

breastfeeding, but not an equal (Degraffenreid, n.d., p 4). Infant formulas that are manufactured

for bottle feeding are fortified with sufficient quantities of iron and other minerals. These help to

reduce prevalence of anemia in infants. With breastfeeding, however, one must supplement with

iron drops. None of the important antibodies found in breast milk are found in manufactured

formula, which means that formula doesn't provide the baby with the added protection against

infection and illness that breast milk does (Breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, 2011, p 3).




Manufactured formulas still have not been able to duplicate the complexity of breast milk due to

the fact that breast milk changes as the baby's needs change (How much does breastfeeding

reduce the risk of disease?, 2009, p 1).

Both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding are time consuming. Breastfeeding is time

consuming because to some inexperienced first time breast-feeders it could take up to 45 minutes

per breast until the child has had his or her fill. Pumping also may take some time if the milk

supply is running low. Bottle-feeding is quicker in this respect because all you have to do is

measure, pour, shake and warm. However, bottle-feeding requires A LOT of dish washing, more

so than just pulling out a breast and voila! Women who choose to bottle feed have a bit more

freedom than women who exclusively breastfeed. An example of this could be that bottle-

feeding mothers can choose any method of contraception for birth control. The intake of pills

will not harm the child as it would in case of breast feeding mothers. Bottle-feeding mothers can

even resort to strict dieting schedules because bottle feeding mothers provide nourishment to

their children through infant formulas and not from their own bodies (Degraffenreid, n.d., p 5).

The cost associated with both is fairly straight-forward. Breastfeeding is free, formula is

expensive. True enough some women can get formula through the WIC (Women, Infant and

Children) program for free, but breastfeeding is free and readily available. Sometimes complete

shipments of formula can be tainted and then one has to wait for another shipment or use a

different brand that their child¶s system might not tolerate. Breastfeeding is clearly the best

choice when it comes to cost-effectiveness. Breastfeeding mothers do have to consume extra

calories daily to support the milk supply yet the cost wouldn¶t be that much more higher than a

bottle-feeding mother who could just enjoy the eating.




In a large randomized trial of human lactation, researchers have found evidence that

prolonged breast-feeding is associated with improved scores on some intelligence tests in

childhood (How much does breastfeeding reduce the risk of disease?, 2007, p 1). Studies show

that breastfeeding increases intelligence in infants marginally as compared to those that are

formula fed (Bakalar, 2008, p 6). In a study conducted on 3,253 Danes born from 1959 to 1961

showed that babies that were breast-fed for seven to nine months had higher IQs than those who

were breast-fed for two weeks or less. The study found that their scores on intelligence tests rose

gradually the longer they had been breast-fed as babies. Breastfeeding increased intelligence by 6

points on the average 100 IQ point scale (How much does breastfeeding reduce the risk of

disease?, 2007, p 1).

³What is it about breast milk that makes babies so smart? Reinisch suspects there is a

component of mother's milk that either protects the central nervous system or stimulates

its development. The likeliest candidate: a long-chain polyunsaturated acid known as

DHA that is found in human milk but not in infant formula or cow's milk. Today's infant

formulas, by the way, are fortified with a precursor of DHA called ala and may offer

some of the same benefits´ (Bakalar, 2008, pg 6).

Another study was done in New Zealand and researchers from Christchurch School of

Medicine in studied over 1,000 children born between April and August 1977. From birth to one

year the researchers studied the infants¶ development and the way they were fed. The infants

were then followed until they reached the age of 18. Throughout the years the researchers

collected a range of cognitive and academic information on the children. IQ (intelligence

quotient), math and reading ratings from teachers, and results of standardized tests of reading




comprehension, mathematics, and scholastic ability were monitored among all the different

children. Also, the researchers looked at the number of passing grades achieved in NSC

(National School Certificate) examinations taken at the end of the third year of high school.

The results indicated that the longer children had been breast-fed, the higher they scored on such

tests (McGill, 2008, p 1).

In this study, children who were breast-fed for eight months or more had, on average,

significantly higher test scores than children who were not breast-fed. "Similarly, children

breast-fed for eight or more months were only two-thirds as likely as non-breast-fed children to

have left school without qualifications," the researchers state (McGill, 2008, p 1).

The developers of the study note that ³the mothers who elected to breastfeed tended to be

older, better educated, from upper-income backgrounds, in a two-parent family, not to smoke

during pregnancy, and had attained above-average income and living standards.´

The researchers say the findings "underwrite the need to encourage breastfeeding and/or...

(development of) improved infant formulas with properties more similar to those of human

breast milk." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least 12

months "or longer as mutually desired by infant and mother" (American academy of pediatrics,

2011, p 1)

The most studied variable in objective feeding behavior measurements is sucking

pressure. Infants with neurological problems that become evident in later life frequently generate

poor sucking pressure in early infancy. Therefore, the evaluation of sucking behavior would have

prognostic value in the infant¶s neurological development. However, most data on sucking

performance are derived from the neonatal period (Lopez- Duran, 2009 p 7).




Another research finding is, "Although breastfeeding initiation rates have increased

substantially during the last 30 years, much less progress has been achieved in increasing the

exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding" (McGill, 2008, p 1). This means that more women are

initiating breastfeeding but are not following through with it or are supplementing with formula.

It¶s great that women are even attempting to breastfeed more than they have in the past years.

Some mothers give up on breast feeding because they have trouble learning to nurse their

babies. Usually this happens because they haven't had the proper training: hospitals and even

some WIC clinics are providing breastfeeding classes and consultations to help the nursing mom.

With the ease of access of all these resources, breastfeeding is not as daunting as some women

may fear. ³This extremely natural act doesn't in fact come naturally: you may need training in

teaching your newborn how to latch on, or in different holding techniques. You may feel it's silly

that part of being a mother may include studies in the best breastfeeding methods, but keep it in

mind; babies aren't born knowing just how to suckle, and new moms need some teaching too´

(Compare Breast Feeding and Bottle Feeding With the Nutrition Health Benefits of Breast Milk

verses Formula for your Nursing Infant, n.d., p 2).

In summary, this quote from Mothering magazine, sums it up.

³Breastfeeding is

Intuitive.

Natural.

Loving.




Beautiful.

Joyous.

A universal language spoken by mothers and babies´ (Ondrack, S, 2006, p 2).




Resources

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