Research suggests breastfed babies tend to cry more
According to a new study published in the Public Library of Science, breastfed babies display more ‘challenging temperaments’, cry more and laugh less than babies who are bottle fed.
by Louise-Anne Geddes, Mindful Mum, 11th January 2012
The research involved data and assessment from 316 infants, and aimed to ‘to examine the relationship between breastfeeding and maternally-rated infant temperament at age 3 months’. Scores were related to a number of factors, including whether the infant was fed only breast milk, was only bottle fed or a mixture of the two, with adjustments made for their age and index of ‘deprivation’.
Research and findings
The study was funded by the European Union, the World Cancer Research Foundation International, the Medical Research Council, the Mothercare Charitable Foundation and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. The research found in the three broad areas, breast fed babies and babies fed with a mix of breast and bottle had more ‘challenging temperaments’. The researchers, led by Dr Ken Ong, from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge said:
“In our UK birth cohort study, infants who were breastfed or mixed-fed at three months of age were rated by their mothers as having overall more challenging temperaments, with lower scores forsurgency/extraversion and orienting/regulation, and higher scores for negative affectivity compared to formula-fed infants. Consistent differences between these groups were seen across many of the subscales that contribute to the main infant temperament dimensions. In particular, compared to formula-fed infants, breastfed infants were reported to show greater distress, less smiling, laughing and vocalisation, to be slower to calm down following distress or excitement, and more difficult to soothe by caregivers”.
Conclusions
The researchers concluded that:
“Breast and mixed-fed infants were rated by their mothers as having more challenging temperaments in all three dimensions; particular subscales included greater distress, less smiling, laughing, and vocalisation, and lower soothability. Increased awareness of the behavioural dynamics of breastfeeding, a better expectation of normal infant temperament and support to cope with difficult infant temperament could potentially help to promote successful breastfeeding”.
Help and support
The study findings offer the following advice and support for breastfeeding mothers:
“In conclusion, our findings indicate that breastfeeding may be demanding for mothers and infants. Breastfed and mixed-fed infants were rated as having overall more challenging temperaments, with lower scores for positive emotionality, lower ability to regulate their own emotions, and lower emotional stability than formula-fed infants. These findings should not be taken to discourage mothers to breastfeed, but rather may suggest new potential avenues to improve breast-feeding duration. In particular, mothers who breastfeed may perceive that other people’s formula fed babies are more content, and evidence suggests that some mothers believe that the main cause of infant distress is hunger. The most consistent reason given for women to stop breastfeeding is that “Breast milk alone didn’t satisfy my baby”, which reflects mother’s perception of signalling by the infant. Mothers could receive more information about the behavioural dynamics of breastfeeding so as to have a better expectation and understanding of normal infant temperament and, where necessary, support to cope with difficult aspects of infant temperament.
For more information and support on breastfeeding your child, see our article on breastfeeding advice.
Source: Public Library of Science ONE, Breastfeeding and Infant Temperament at Age Three Months 10 January 2012
Photography: Viralbus @Flickr
Comments