Moms Talk: Breastfeeding

While most pediatricians and obstetricians agree that breastfeeding typically provides the best nutrition for infants, formula feeding is still a healthy and viable choice.

Evidence suggests bottle-fed babies grow up to be just as strong, intelligent and healthy as their breastfed peers.

Still, the debate rages between both camps. Breastfeeding moms attack bottle-feeding moms for choosing formula. Bottle-feeding moms attack breastfeeding moms for their choice.

A recent study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has done nothing to quell the debate.

This time, though, the discussion focuses on breastfeeding's benefits to the mother.

The study, which examined brain functions of 17 mothers two to four weeks postpartum, found that those mothers who exclusively breastfed their babies, as opposed to formula-fed, are more likely to bond emotionally with their child during the first few months after delivery.

The study showed "links between breastfeeding and greater response to infant cues in brain regions implicated in maternal-infant bonding and empathy during the early postpartum. Such brain activations may facilitate greater maternal sensitivity as infants enter their social world," a summary conclusion of the study reads.

This is not to suggest that bottle-feeding mothers don't emotionally connect with their children, the researchers noted.

However, the breastfeeding mothers examined for the study showed greater responses to their infant's cry in brain regions related to caregiving behavior than mothers who relied upon formula.

So, GT Patch asks: Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding? Which is better? Do you think mothers who use a bottle bond less with their children?

Editor's Note: Moms Talk is a feature on GloucesterTownship.Patch.com that aims to reach out to and bring together moms and families.

GloucesterTownship.Patch.com invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Gloucester Township.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions, utilizing the comment box below.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic.

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