A new study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics has found a new benefit to the use of breast milk to feed newborns and infants.
Published in the Sept. 6 issue of the organization’s journal, Pediatrics, the study found that breast milk can help deter a condition known as pyloric stenosis, or PS, which negatively affects the stomach and small intestines of newborns and infants.
“Bottle-fed infants experienced a 4.6-fold higher risk of PS compared with infants who were not bottle-fed,” the report stated. “The result adds to the evidence supporting the advantage of exclusive breastfeeding in the first months after birth.”
The study followed 70,148 babies for four months and discovered that of the 65 who developed PS, 29 were newborns fed only with artificial milk. Babies who were fed with artificial milk remained at a higher risk of developing PS even 30 days after the initial exposure.
The pylorus muscles, located in the abdomen, are responsible for linking the stomach to the smaller intestine. According to the Mayo Clinic, PS occurs in newborns and infants when the muscles of the pylorus increase to an unusual size, preventing food from reaching the smaller intestine and can lead to decreased urine volume and fewer bowel movements.
Children diagnosed with the condition experience the type of severe projectile vomiting that can lead to dehydration and weight loss. Babies experiencing the abnormality are unusually hungry and begin showing signs within the first three to five weeks of life. Surgery is used as a corrective method in most cases.
According to the Office on Women’s Health, a section of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the antibodies in breast milk can also help reduce the risk of asthma, ear infections, stomach viruses, and both types of diabetes in newborns. Breast milk has also been cited as a deterrent for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
