Reply to why do breastfed babies still get sick all the time?

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Reply to "why do breastfed babies still get sick all the time?"

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[quote=Anonymous]Breastfeeding is normal, formula feeding has risks.

burden of formula feeding, in terms of health care costs:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/04/05/peds.2009-1616.abstract

A choice tidbit: "an estimated $13 billion could be shaved off of health care and other costs if 90 percent of U.S. babies received breast milk exclusively for the first six months of life."

Here's another.

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/01/20110120a.html

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses that include diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. Breastfed babies are also less likely to develop asthma, and those who are breastfed for six months are less likely to become obese.  Mothers themselves who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Says the CDC:

One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed.

http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/promotion/index.htm

Says the Department of Health and Human Services:

The reduced health care costs for breastfed infants translate into lower medical insurance claims for businesses. Babies who are not breastfed visit the physician more often, spend more days in the hospital, and require more prescriptions than breastfed infants. One study found that for every 1,000 babies not breastfed, there were 2,033 extra physician visits, 212 extra hospitalization days, and 609 extra prescriptions for three illnesses alone – ear, respiratory, and gastrointestinal infection.2	This does not include the risks of numerous other childhood illnesses and infections, or women’s diseases such as pre-menopausal breast cancer, which are reduced when a mother breastfeeds.3

http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/government%2Din%2Daction/business%2Dcase%2Dfor%2Dbreastfeeding/business-case-for-breastfeeding-for-business-managers.pdf

We bend over backwards to tell women in this country that it's okay that they don't breastfeed, and certainly that is a valid choice. Still, these well cited statements and studies demonstrate higher health care costs for all of us, just like smoking, heavy drinking, and other risk increasing behaviors / lifestyles.

The facts don't have an opinion. [/quote]

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