Norwegian Professor Sven Carlsen and colleagues have drawn attention to the long running debate about whether “breast is best” for the baby with their recently published paper (January 2010):

and the press release that went with it. BFM would like to draw your attention to the quote from the link below regarding the press release:-
Although the press release for this study states that the researchers reviewed “more than 50 international studies about the relationship between breastfeeding and health”, the results from this research do not appear to have been published. Therefore, what evidence supports this claim is unclear.

For a useful critique of the study see the link below
http://www.nhs.uk/.../Hormones-and-breastfeeding

Baby Feeding Matters would endorse Professor Ashley Grossman’s comments on the BBC news website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8443904.stm

and would conclude by summarising the statements form NHS Health Scotland  and UNICEF that the evidence for the advantages of breastfeeding is strong.

Statement from NHS Health Scotland:

 Ali Macdonald, Programme Manager for Early Years and Families said: “Breastfeeding is still the best way to feed your baby. There are many known health benefits for the baby including improved immunity, reduced risk of ear and urinary tract infections, and reduced risk of atopic disorders. It also reduces the risk of gastroenteritis – particularly important for premature babies who can develop very severe bowel infections. Breast milk is a living fluid that adapts as the baby grows and its composition alters with the needs of the infant, therefore providing the baby with exactly the right balance of protein and nutrients. There is also good evidence that breastfeeding has a positive impact on health in later life.

“It does not appear that the new research addresses the significant health benefits to the mother from breastfeeding including reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer and a reduced risk of osteoporosis in later life. NHS Health Scotland would always actively encourage pregnant women to consider breastfeeding as the best option for their baby, and for women who are already breastfeeding to continue to do so exclusively until the baby is six months old.”

Statement from UNICEF:

The body of evidence for the benefits of breastfeeding is very large and comes from a wide range of studies into many different illnesses, carried out by numerous researchers in many different universities. Systematic reviews of the literature have also been carried out and are especially useful, as they are able to eliminate weak studies and combine the findings of all the high-quality papers in order to demonstrate with the greatest reliability whether a protective effect truly exists. It is important to note that there is variability in the quality and depth of evidence in relation to some illnesses which is why the authors of these reviews tend to call for further research to clarify the finding. It remains the case, however, that the evidence for the advantages of breastfeeding is strong.

The two most recent and influential reviews were carried out by the Agency for Health and Research Quality and the World Health Organization and are summarised below:

Ip S, et al (2007) Breastfeeding and Maternal Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. AHRQ Publication No. 07-E007.Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
This review carried out in the USA screened over 9,000 papers and used evidence from 400. It refers only to health outcomes in developed countries. The review found that breastfeeding is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of: acute otitis media, non-specific gastroenteritis, severe lower respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, obesity, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, childhood leukaemia, sudden infant death syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, maternal breast cancer and ovarian cancer. http://www.ahrq.gov/Clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm#Report


Horta B et al (2007) Evidence on the long-term effects of breastfeeding. WHO.
This paper reports on a series of systematic reviews to assess the effects of breastfeeding on blood pressure, diabetes and related indicators, serum cholesterol, overweight and obesity, and intellectual performance. It found a significant reduction in the incidence of obesity and overweight and type 2 diabetes. It also found that breastfed babies had lower systolic blood pressure, lower cholesterol and better performance in intelligence tests. http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/


Although the protective effects of breastfeeding on gastroenteritis and respiratory infections have not been questioned, attempts have been made to dismiss these in developed countries as mere ‘tummy upsets’ or ‘coughs and colds’, whereas in reality a reduction in severe infection resulting in hospitalisation has been found. The Millennium Cohort Study is a nationally representative longitudinal study of 18,819 infants who were born in the UK in 2000-2002. Data on infant feeding, infant health, and a range of confounding factors were available for 15,890 healthy, singleton, term infants who were born during this period. This study found that 53 per cent of diarrheal hospitalisations each month could have been prevented by exclusive breastfeeding and 31 per cent by partial breastfeeding. A total of 27 per cent of lower respiratory tract infections could have been prevented each month by exclusive breastfeeding and 25 per cent by partial breastfeeding. Quigley M et al (2007) Breastfeeding and Hospitalization for diarrheal and respiratory infection in the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/


It is important to be aware that the protective effect of breastfeeding is stronger in relation to some illness, notably gastroenteritis, than it is for other illnesses such as allergies. This does not mean that there is no protective effect against those other illnesses, rather that the risk to the bottle-fed baby is greater for some illnesses than for others. Importantly, where the evidence shows a slight protective effect of breastfeeding, this can still be the result of well performed research. It is important to note that a small protective effect of breastfeeding against a significant illness will have a dramatic effect across a population.