Breastfed Babies Have Less Gastrointestinal Infections

The August issue of The Journal of Nutrition has published a study showing that babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life are well-protected from gastrointestinal issues. However, the same study showed that they have an increased risk of iron-deficiency. The study's lead author, Noreen Willows, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada states, "We are verifying previous findings that in low-income countries [like Mexico, where the study took place] exclusively breastfed infants are protected from GI infection but appear to be at greater risk for iron deficiency." Regardless of the higher risk of iron deficiency, Willows believes that the advice "breast-is-best" remains true. It is easy to correct iron deficiency with supplements, but GI infections can be extremely serious in babies.

Dr. Ruth Lawrence, chairwoman of the section on breastfeeding at the American Academy of Pediatrics, and professor of pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York states that the results of this study pertain much more to mothers in undeveloped countries than in the United States, as fewer American women have low iron levels, which lessens the risk that their babies will become iron-deficient.

One fascinating concept that Lawrence discusses is that ''breast fed babies don't become anemic if their cords are not cut too soon. Delaying the cut for as little as two minutes can help improve the baby's iron status and confer other benefits."