Infant Feeding and Long-Term Health

Breastfeeding leads to fewer ear, throat and sinus infections. But it doesn’t lead to fewer colds, lung or urinary infections. And it doesn’t necessarily protect children from developing food allergies. So says a series of studies in the journal Pediatrics. They were done as a follow-up to the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The original study examined infant feeding practices, from birth through 12 months. The new studies followed up with the same moms and children 6 years later. Other interesting findings include: Although breast-fed babies have slightly healthier diets later in childhood, they are just as likely to eat sweets and snacks as babies who were bottle-fed; if babies don’t eat many fruits and vegetables, they are less likely to do so at age 6.