Breast vs. Bottle Related Articles & Blog Posts

In the modern United Kingdom, about 12 percent of all normal, healthy, full-term babies are hospitalized at least once in their first 8 months of life. Many of these hospitalizations are for pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or other chest infections; many are for diarrhea or other gastroenteritis.  How big a difference might breastfeeding make in preventing these [...]

Today in the United States, 1 in 6 children suffers from  a disability that affects their behavior, memory, or ability to learn. More than  $80 billion dollars are spent each year in the U.S. to treat neurodevelopmental  disorders. Diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity  Disorder (ADHD) alone up are up 250% since 19901. How much of [...]

How about a fresh approach? What if simply giving probiotics to babies would dramatically reduce the vexing symptoms of colic? What if the crying and distress of colic were related to the mix of bacteria in babies’ guts?

It’s natural for parents to wish that they could prevent their children from experiencing heartache. But at some point in life, we will all experience disappointment and loss. We can’t stop all painful events from happening, but can we change how painful events affect our children?

Imagine for a moment the sound of 3 hours with a peaceful, happy baby. And imagine the opposite! About ¼ of babies will experience colic, defined as at least 3 hours of crying per day on at least 3 days of the previous week. Several factors, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, have been proven [...]

The various studies looking at the effects of breastfeeding on childhood leukemia have had inconclusive and inconsistent results. Experts, led by Marilyn Kwan at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, have taken 14 of these studies and analyzed them together as a group. This meta-analysis is published in the November 2004 Public [...]

High blood pressure, which used to be a disease of middle age, is becoming more common in children. Once a child has high blood pressure, unless there are significant lifestyle changes, the high blood pressure continues into adulthood. This leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early adult death, even if the blood [...]

Asthma in children is increasing around the globe. It’s not unusual for it to be a country’s number one reason for a child to be hospitalized. Researchers from Australia (a continent where asthmais the leading cause of childhood hospitalization) have completed an important, long study.

Breastfeeding can help improve mothers’ bone density. During the months of nursing, calcium is taken from the bones, and the density decreases – whether or not they are getting plenty of calcium in their diets. But the months after nursing are one of the most important times in life to get at least 1,000 mg [...]

We know that the first months of life are a very impressionable time when it comes to the developing immune system. Even brief breastfeeding in the first few months of life, for instance, may give long-term protection from asthma. On the flip side, exposure to some foods in the first months may predispose to later [...]