For baby, artificial feeding increases the risk of the following diseases (among others*):
- Otitis media (middle ear infection): 3 to 5 times more likely
- Gastroenteritis: 6 times more likely
- Diarrhea
- Respiratory diseases (bronchitis, pneumonia): 2 to 5 times more likely
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Obesity
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): 3 to 5 times more likely
- Lymphomas: 6 to 8 times more likely
- Type-1 Diabetes: 2 to 7 times more likely
- Necrotising enterocolitis: 20 times more likely
- Inflammatory diseases of the intestine (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease): 3 times more likely
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Breast Cancer in girls
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Hodgkin's disease
- Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Urinary tract infections
- Vision troubles
- Poor development of jaw muscles and malocclusion
- IQ up to 8-10 points lower
- Tooth decay (« bottle caries »)
- Less effective immunisations (vaccines)
- Premature death (in the first year of life): 26.5% increased risk
*Incidence of all diseases studied is higher in formula-fed babies than in breastfed babies.
For mother, NOT breastfeeding increases the risk for the following diseases (among others)
- Post-partum haemorrhage
- Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer: 2 times more likely
- Ovarian Cancer: 1.6 times more likely
- Endometrial Cancer
- The mother who has Gestational Diabetes is 2 times more at risk of developing type-2 Diabetes later on if she does not breastfeed
- Osteoporosis
Artificial feeding also has an important impact on
FAMILY
- Artificial feeding is very demanding of time and energy: shopping for formula and supplies; preparation, cleaning/sterilising; etc.
- Supplies – milks and accessories for formula feeding cost, in Canada, between 2000$ and 3000$ per year, per child.
- Medical costs and lost wages stemming from higher illness rates in formula-fed babies are important.
SOCIETY
- Artificial feeding costs the Canadian health care system billions of dollars per year.
THE ENVIRONMENT
- Production and consumption of artificial baby milks are a significant source of pollution.
See also Dr. Newman's article « Risks of formula feeding »