Newborns Fed Breast Milk Have Lower Asthma Risk Than Those Fed Infant Formula: Study

Early breastfeeding, even if it only lasts a few days, could be instrumental in protecting a newborn’s health, researchers indicate.

A new study appears to add to the growing body of scientific research extolling the virtues of breast milk over infant formula, indicating that newborns who only receive breast milk after birth have a lower risk of developing asthma later in life.

Over the past decade, a number of prominent health organizations have raised concerns about the aggressive marketing of Similac, Enfamil and other formula products, which have promoted the cow’s milk-based formula as an equally effective alternative to a mother’s breast milk.

False and misleading statements made by manufacturers of these products have been blamed for discouraging breastfeeding, and reducing demand for human donor milk, while also increasing the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) from infant formula.

NEC is a devastating gastrointestinal condition that occurs when harmful bacteria breaches the walls of the intestines, causing portions of the tissue to become inflamed or die. It primarily affects premature babies, and often results in the need for emergency surgery while the baby is still in the NICU. Many infants do not survive.

As a result of the 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.

Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of breastfeeding or human milk products for babies, which have been found to deliver the necessary nutrients a newborn needs to thrive, provide some key immunities already developed by the mother, and help the infant’s digestive tract develop.

Research has regularly shown cow’s milk-based baby formula products do not confer the same benefits as breastfeeding and may increase the risk that premature infants develop NEC, which frequently results in severe, life-long injuries or death.

A January 2022 study found that nutrients in breast milk play a critical role in helping 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, such as the popular Similac and Enfamil product lines.

In July 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement calling for hospitals and the government to promote breastfeeding as the primary form of nutrition for newborns.

The statement called for medical providers to support and encourage breastfeeding with strong policies designed to assist mothers who wish to breastfeed their children, in stark contrast to decades of hospitals allowing infant formula manufacturers to promote their products directly to new patients with free samples and gift baskets.

Infant Formula Linked to Asthma Risks

In a new study presented at the 2024 national conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers from the Center for Breastfeeding Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center indicate that infant formula may also increase the risk of children developing asthma.

The researchers used data from the Maternal Infant Data Hub, looking at practices involving 9,649 children born in a large academic hospital system from 2017 to 2019. Of those children, 81% were fed some breast milk after birth, while 31% were exclusively fed breast milk. In total, about 5% of the infants developed asthma, with lower rates among the children exclusively fed breast milk.

The findings suggest that infants who were solely fed breast milk after birth, and throughout their hospital stay, are 22% less likely to develop asthma early in childhood.

The researchers acknowledge there are numerous factors in the development of asthma, but concluded the risks could be mitigated by feeding them breast milk exclusively at birth. The findings have not yet been peer reviewed.

“Although the birth hospitalization lasts only a few days, it sets a critical foundation for establishing breastfeeding, which can influence health outcomes like childhood asthma,” Dr. Laura Placke Ward, one of the study’s authors and co-director for the center, said in a press release. “Our study underscores the importance of hospital practices in supporting exclusive breastfeeding, as these early experiences may impact long-term health.”