Breast- vs. Bottle-Feeding

Abstract

This study compares the morbidity of two groups of healthy, full-term infants (25 in each group) who were exclusively either bottle-fed or breast-fed for 5 months. There were no statistically significant differences in morbidity between the two groups except for a borderline greater frequency of upper respiratory infections in the bottle-fed group.

Although the study groups are limited in size, the results suggest that, when appropriate hygienic measures are taken and statistical biases eliminated, differences in morbidity between bottle-fed and breast-fed babies are relatively minor.

The data also show that modern infant formulas seem to be nutritionally complete in that there was no difference in the rate of growth or in hematological parameters measured in the bottle- fed and breast-fed group.