Studies

[slyder]

With twins on the way I've been giving a lot of thought to FF vs BF and the pros and cons of both.

In my reasonably rudimentary view of these matters, I find it curious that statements are frequently made to the effect of "we all know breastfeeding is best". It suggests that this is an irrefutable truth, such that the sun is hot and the ocean is made of water.

What I am genuinely interested to see (because I don't know where to look) is a listing of scientific studies using proper methodology which proves this point. I expect that such studies would need to compare a number of FF and BF babies from the same socio-economic background, over a period of say 5 years, for the purposes of evaluating present and post-BF/FF outcomes. The control would need to be a sample of both FF/BF infants whose health and immune characteristics can be quantified. How this is done I don't know but I'm not a scientist.

I am not interested in links to blanket statements made by the ABA, or a blog or whatever, or sources which mention studies and evidence as "proof" but don't actually cite the source. An example of a dinky di study (unrelated to BF) is here: MJA: Blyth, et al., Hospitalisation for congestive heart failure: burden and outcomes

If you haven't got a source in a format similar to the above (ie. a formal scientific study) I am not going to look at it - I'm not trying to be nasty, I'm just telling you what I am after and am wondering if anyone can help.

This isn't a wind up or an excuse to start a debate, I actually want to know for myself and for DW. I am asking because I am assuming that some of you who are very pro_BF will have knowledge of what I am after.

[Phteven]

This .pdf file might be a good starting point for you.
At the end of each section there is a list of references so you can research anything that you need to know more about in more depth.
It is a model chapter for medical texts developed by the W.H.O.

Infant and young child feeding: Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals

Getting hold of peer reviewed studies online can be a bit tiresome. You might want to go to you closest tertiary institution and use their databases. They are a much better source than the interwebz.

[Indadhanu]

Is something like this what you are after?

Prospective studies of the effect of breast feedin... [Acta Paediatr Scand. 1979] - PubMed result

[slyder]

Thanks Onyx, lots of info there for me to hunt down soon.

Leasha, it's a bit brief to meet my exacting requirements, but it's a good start Thank you.

As BF sentiment is so strong on BB (not a criticism), there must be more of you that actually base your choices on empirical evidence that you've actually read yourself?

[Indadhanu]

I thought i would be, being that its an abstract haha. Should be able to have a decent look tomorrow arvo. I have uni access, so might be able to find the full article to the one I linked.

[slyder]

That's the problem with these studies - so many list the abstract but unless you have access to edu facilities or want to pay for it, it's pretty hard to get the full monty. Cheers.

[Ryatha]

Slyder, if you are able to get in to a library of a university that has medicine they would have all the journals there, all you would need to do is search their databases (pubmed was the main one I used at uni - studying biology related subjects) and then find the volume (s) that the journals articles would be in. I think you can also search pubmed online and that way you don't have to spend as long in the library.

ETA - you don't have to be a memeber to search and view the articles, and you can photocopy them in there so you don't have to borrow them....

[kelebek]

As BF sentiment is so strong on BB (not a criticism), there must be more of you that actually base your choices on empirical evidence that you've actually read yourself?

I know you don't want a debate and that is fine but as a breastfeeding mother I find this comment offensive. I may not have researched my decision to breastfeed over formulae feed because for me formulae feeding wasn't even something I wanted to consider. To me breastfeeding is free and natural and therefore my first option and I have been lucky that I am able to feed for as long as I have. I understand in the case of twins where the physical and mental toll is greater why you would want to look into the pro's and con's further but I am offended at your implication that I decided to breastfeed wasn't based on empirical evidence and therefore I am somehow uneducated or doing the wrong thing or uninformed?!

[Phteven]

To me breastfeeding is free and natural and therefore my first option and I have been lucky that I am able to feed for as long as I have.

Yep, the free was a big factor for me. That and the no washing up bottles. I breastfed because I'm a lazy cheapskate

[Astrid]

Have you actually checked out the ABA website, specifically the Lactation Resource Centre page. All the sciency stuff is on there. It would give you a place to start with what studies you want to look further into.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Slyder, I'm subscribing here and going to follow those sources! As far as I could find, there are NO real studies. No double-blind random trials. Nothing about the parents, the background, the other nature AND nurture factors or anything I would require. Of course I wanted evidence that I was doing the best thing! And yet all I found at the time were dated sociopolitical "studies" and propaganda from both sides. I decided to go with breast as it's human milk designed for MY child - not a group of children, my child, made by my body. Seems better than a boring homogenous formula. Plus breastmilk changes "weight" during the day so that the child gets sleepy hormones and more full at night. Have to find that study for you. But you can get "sleepy baby" formulae these days anyway.

Having said that, I'm going to be more "militant" about BFing #2+. Because Liebs was intolerant of cow milk, as was I as a child as was my father as a child... breastmilk is free, easy and adaptable. Bottles require work and money. And a gym membership because my stomach thanked breastfeeding a lot.

[Traveller]

I don't have access to the full studies but the following may be of interest to you:\

Breast feeding and respiratory morbidity in infanc... [Arch Dis Child. 2003] - PubMed result Breast feeding and respiratory morbidity in infancy: a birth cohort study.
Effect of breastfeeding duration on lung function ... [Thorax. 2009] - PubMed result
Effect of breastfeeding duration on lung function at age 10 years: a prospective birth cohort study. Ogbuanu IU et al
Breast feeding and obesity: cross sectional study -- von Kries et al. 319 (7203): 147 -- BMJ Breast feeding and obesity: cross sectional study Von Kries et al

[kelebek]

I'm assuming as you linked in a study from the Medical Journal Australia that you have searched that website for breastfeeding and formula feeding?
I haven't read any of them but did see some interesting titles for studies there.

[anney]

I don't want to start a debate either and I NEVER have got into a b/f vs f/f debate and I am not now but to me the ultimate in "empirical" evidence is that the human race managed to sustain its young for thousands of years prior to formula being invented. I am not talking about individuals here, as I believe not all mums and bubs have successful breastfeeding, I am talking about the human race. But at the same time, as you now have a choice, you have every right to research that choice.
(Oh, and like Onyx, I am also a lazy cheapskate.)

[HotI]

I breastfed because I'm a lazy cheapskate

Me too! Couldn't be bothered getting out of bed to make bottles, (unless i had to).

[Michelle71]

There was an article sent through via my email yesterday looking at BF and the effect on fevers post immunisation. I will hunt it down and get back to you as a starting point. There are a few but many are significantly flawed on both sides of the discussion due the variability of factors that make up a *good*, replicable study.

[rosie77]

Hey slyder, interesting question. I've wondered about this too but am too lazy (and my uni days are too far behind me) to properly assess the quality of studies these days. If you find some good articles that you don't need to have uni access to read, do you mind posting them here?
Good luck to you and the missus, whatever you decide to do.

[Schmickers]

You are probably hamstringing yourself with your criteria.

The kind of study you describe is almost impossible to conduct, due to ethical considerations and the difficulty of eliminating confounding factors. A more useful and valid way to look at breastfeeding is to try and examine very specific outcomes, which is why you'll see most of the studies are geared that way. But just because they're not randomised, double-blind trials shouldn't automatically exclude them from consideration.