For Release: June 2, 1997, 5 p.m. (ET)
Below is a highlight of a study appearing on the June PEDIATRICS electronic pages, the Internet extension of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To receive the full text of this study and interview contact information, please contact the AAP Division of Public Relations at 847-981-7877 and ask for CE5. The complete study is also available on PEDIATRICS electronic pages at http://www.pediatrics.org.
BREASTFED INFANTS LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP DIARRHEA OR EAR INFECTIONS
CHICAGO--Infants fed breast milk all or part of the time for the first 6 months of life are less likely to develop ear infections or diarrhea than infants fed formula exclusively, according to a recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Pediatrics electronic pages. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and the Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C., examined questionnaires completed by nearly 2,000 mothers. Each month, the mothers reported the number of times their 2- to 6-month-old infant received breast milk, formula or both over the previous seven days. They also were asked whether the infant experienced diarrhea or had an ear infection during the prior two weeks. Infants fed formula exclusively had an 80 percent increased risk of developing diarrhea compared to infants fed breast milk only, while the risk of ear infections was 70 percent greater in formula-fed infants compared to breastfed infants. The studys authors conclude the more breast milk infants receive during the first six months of their life, the more protected they are from selected diseases. However, supplementing breast milk with small amounts of formula doesnt eliminate the protection breast milk provides, they report. EDITORS NOTE: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants be fed breast milk during the first 6 to 12 months of life to obtain optimal nutrition.
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EDITORS NOTE: This study appears on the peer-reviewed, scientific electronic pages of the American Academy of Pediatrics, but does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the Academy. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 53,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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