Long Term Consequences of Formula Feeding

Obesity

• Research has linked formula feeding to an increased risk of obesity and metabolic issues. A study by Alison Stuebe, M.D., published in the "Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology" in 2009 found that children who were not breastfed were 1.1 to 1.3 times more likely to develop childhood obesity than children who had been breastfed for any period of time. A study by the University of California at Davis published in the "Journal of Proteome Research" in 2013 concluded that babies who were formula fed showed metabolic differences from their breastfed counterparts, including growing more quickly, having higher levels of insulin, and metabolizing amino acids differently. These changes set children up for a risk of obesity later in life.

Diabetes

• The same factors that seem to be at work in increasing the risk of obesity in children who were formula fed also appears to increase their risk of Type I diabetes. "The Risks of Not Breastfeeding for Mothers and Infants," a paper in the Fall, 2009 "Obstetrics and Gynecology" journal, found that children who were breastfed for less than 3 months had a 1.2 to 1.4 times increased risk of developing Type I diabetes. Early exposure to cow's milk was linked to the increased risk. A paper in "Nutrition Research Review" in 2010 also noted that breastfeeding helped to decrease the risk of Type I diabetes and that exposure to cow's milk protein increased this risk.

Childhood Cancer

• Formula feeding may lead to an increased risk of potentially fatal childhood cancer. The "Obstetrics and Gynecology" paper reported that children who were formula fed were 1.3 times more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia, compared with children who were breastfed. The study also found that these children were 1.2 times more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia. Researchers reported that one hypothesis for this increased risk is that breast milk has immune-boosting factors that could prevent viral infections linked to the leukemia pathogenesis.

Risks for Mothers

• Formula feeding also has potentially long-term consequences for mothers. The study in the "Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology" said that mothers who did not breastfeed are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart issues such as myocardial infarction. The suppression of estrogen during breastfeeding is thought to be responsible for some of its protective properties.