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MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) – New breast milk may not be as beneficial to the baby's weight as breastfeeding, according to a new study.
The researchers found what many others had: Overall, breastfed babies had a healthier weight than those fed formula.
However, babies receiving pumped breast milk did not benefit as much as those who were breastfed.
The researchers pointed out that breast milk, in any form, was better than the formula. But they said that the results corroborate the notion that the feeding method is also important.
Many women, especially in the United States, have to pump breast milk back to work, said lead researcher Meghan Azad, assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba. in Canada.
"The message here is not that pumping is" bad "or" wrong, "she said." It's better than artificial breastfeeding. "
However, says Azad, there are reasons why breast feeding could promote the healthiest weight gain.
For one, she said, breast milk contains a range of interesting enzymes and hormones. And it is possible that their activity is exhausted when the pumped milk is refrigerated.
In addition, said Azad, babies are thought to learn to "self-regulate" food intake when they are breastfeeding in mum's womb. On the other hand, when parents feed their babies, they often load – encouraging their baby to finish the bottle.
Dr. Joan Meek is president of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on breastfeeding. She said the AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months. Once the baby starts eating solid foods, says Meek, breastfeeding can continue "as long as the mother and the child desire it".
She agreed that there are reasons why direct breastfeeding is ideal – and the new findings corroborate that. But in practice, Meek added, many women have to pump.
"The lack of a paid maternity leave policy in the United States can be a barrier for mothers who work outside the home," said Meek. "Certainly for these mothers, their [pumped] Breast milk remains the best solution for guiding breastfeeding. "
The results, published online September 24 in the journal Pediatrics, rely on more than 2,500 mother-child pairs.
On average, according to the study, babies who were still exclusively breastfed at 6 months had the healthiest weight at 12 months of age. In comparison, babies who were no longer exclusively breastfed at six months were three times more likely to be overweight at their first birthday.
However, when the researchers looked at the feeding methods of moms, they found that babies fed on pumped breast milk tended to weigh a little more than those breastfed.
All of this suggests that direct breastfeeding is best for a "healthy weight trajectory," said Dr. Alison Holmes, a pediatrician at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hannover, New Hampshire.
Like Meek, Holmes recognized practical obstacles. She therefore recommended that whenever mothers work with their babies, they opt for the direct route rather than for the bottle.
Holmes also pointed out a secondary benefit: "There is less time spent washing dishes."
The study also examined the effects of the introduction of solid foods on the weight of babies. In general, it was found that when babies started taking solids before the age of 5 months, their weight gain was fast.
But there was no sign that the introduction of solids at 5 months, rather than 6 months, particularly stimulated rapid weight gain.
"So, introducing solids at this age can be acceptable, if that's what your baby wants," Azad said.
According to Holmes, there seems to be a window that is best for the overall health of babies.
"Introducing solid foods after the 5th month, but before 7 months, is healthier in terms of balancing the benefits of healthy weight gain, allergy prevention and infectious disease prevention." , she said.
For Azad, the findings have implications not only for parents, but also for paid maternity leave policies.
"That said, you can not just give mothers a breast pump and think you've solved the problem," said Azad.
More information
The PAA has more on breastfeeding.
SOURCES: Meghan Azad, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Alison Volpe Holmes, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, N.H .; Joan Younger Meek, MD, RD, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Breastfeeding Section, and Professor of Clinical Science, School of Medicine, Florida State University Tallahassee; September 24, 2018, Pediatricsonline
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