Infants Breastfed At Least 6 Months Have Less Chance of Developmental Delays: Study

Amid continuing concerns about the safety and risks associated with infant formula, researchers found that newborn babies who are not breastfed are more likely to miss developmental benchmarks than their siblings.

A new study adds to the growing evidence about the importance of breast feeding, suggesting that infants who are breastfed have better overall developmental outcomes than those given infant formula or fed through other means.

The findings were published in JAMA Networks Open on March 24, indicating that breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for newborns and infants.

Breastfeeding Benefits

In recent years, a number of prominent health organizations have raised concerns about the aggressive marketing practices employed by manufacturers of cow’s milk-based infant formula products, like Similac and Enfamil, which have been promoted as safe and effective alternatives to breast milk.

However, research has regularly shown that cow’s milk-based infant formula products do not confer the same benefits as breast feeding, and may increase the risk of premature infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly gastrointestinal issue that often strikes premature infants, frequently resulting in severe, life-long injuries or death.

A January 2022 study found that nutrients in breast milk help the intestinal epithelial layer mature in preterm infants, strengthening their resistance to NEC. However, these nutrients are not present in cow’s milk-based infant formula marketed for premature babies. As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement later that same year, calling for hospitals and the government to promote breastfeeding as the primary form of nutrition for newborns.

In this latest study, Israeli researchers conducted a cohort trial involving more than half a million Israeli children, using data from a national database. Participants were born between January 2014 and December 2020, after at least 35 weeks of gestation.

According to the findings, 52.1% of the infants were breastfed for at least six months. The researchers determined those children had fewer delays in developing language, social skills and motor skills milestones than children breastfed for less than six months. Those who were breastfed for half a year were more than 25% less likely to show developmental delays when compared to their peers, the data indicates.

When the researchers looked at sibling pairs where one child was breastfed for six months and the other was not, they found those siblings that were breastfed had less of a chance of milestone attainment delays and were less likely to be diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions.

“In this cohort study, exclusive or longer duration of breastfeeding was associated with reduced odds of developmental delays and language or social neurodevelopmental conditions,” the researchers concluded. “These findings may guide parents, caregivers, and public health initiatives in promoting early child development.”

Infant Formula NEC lawsuits

Due to formula manufacturers’ failure to adequately disclose the risks associated with cow’s milk-based formula for premature infants, hundreds of families are now pursuing Similac lawsuits and Enfamil lawsuits on behalf of babies who developed NEC, alleging that the companies prioritized profits over the health and safety of newborns by discouraging use of human breast milk.

Given common questions of fact and law raised in infant formula NEC lawsuits brought by families nationwide, the federal litigation is centralized before U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer in the Northern District of Illinois, for discovery and a series of early trial dates, as part of an infant formula lawsuit MDL (multidistrict litigation).

Judge Pallmeyer previously established a “bellwether” program, where a small group of representative claims are being prepared to go before juries, to help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the cases, and promote global NEC settlement negotiations.

While the outcomes of these early trial dates do not have any binding impact on other infant formula lawsuits, the average lawsuit payouts may have a significant impact on determining the amount that Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson, the makers of Similac and Enfamil, respectively, could be required to pay in NEC settlements to avoid hundreds of additional claims going before juries.