Early Formula Feeding Doesn't Up Allergy Risk
Moms who couldn't breastfeed immediately
after birth can rest easier
about their little ones developing allergies.
A new study suggests that
babies who get formula for the first few days
of life have no increased
risk of developing allergies. The kind of
formula doesn't seem to matter
either. Doctors at the University of
Amsterdam studied 1,533 children
and found that those who drank formula with
cows' milk protein (which
some experts think can weaken a child's
immune system and
stimulate allergies) for the first three days
of life were no more likely to
develop hay fever and eczema at ages one and
two than babies who
had formula without the protein. All the
children were breastfed for at
least six weeks after the first three days.
The researchers conclude
that a strict feeding regimen in the first
few days of life may not be
required to prevent allergies. They published
their findings in the current
Archives of Disease in Childhood.
This appeared on the BabyCenter site and was part of the mailings
that they send out to new moms. <sigh> I am guessing that this
is the same study that was just discussed.