Breast vs. Bottle - A Dead Heat?
Friday 28th of February 2014 | Category: Opinion | Written by: James BrightonIt's a debate which goes on between women across the country day in day out, week in week out, and so on and so forth. Breast vs. Bottle will continue for years to come too, as mothers decide how they will feed their baby, whilst in some cases there wont even be a decision to make - whether that's because the mother believes 'breast is best' or because they simply can't breastfeed their baby for reasons beyond their control.
Is there no difference?
Exponents of breastfeeding will tell you that 'breast is best' and that if you can avoid bottle feeding then you should not consider it. That being said a report which featured in a few different media outlets this week suggested that breast milk is actually no better than bottled milk, and the benefits of breastfeeding have been greatly exaggerated. The study which argues this, makes a point of stating that this is in no way meant to challenge the ideas which are held by many people, be they health professionals or breastfeeding supporters, but is to try and help women who can't breastfeed to stop feeling stigmatised. You would like to think that this could happen, but it is sure to cause more debate amongst those on both sides of the fence.
The study claims to have found that in the long term breastfeeding will not affect the health of the child, whether that is preventing illnesses or obesity, and will not mean that children who breastfeed will perform better academically. That being said, the study does go on to explain that there are short term benefits for the babies of women who do breastfeed other those who choose to bottle feed, simply because of the difference make up of breast milk in comparison to formula milk. Rather, in the long term, the study argues that external factors play a far bigger role in the development and lifestyle of a child, then whether or not their mother decided to breastfeed or bottle feed.
A dead heat?
Consequently, could it be argued that the breast vs. bottle debate is always going to be a dead heat? If we accept that in the short term breast milk can be beneficial over formula, but in the long term it has no significant impact should we instead be looking to improve other aspects of society? No doubt there will be many people of both sides of the debate who will argue that this study holds no weight, but can a happy medium ever be reached? Lifestyle choices, the schools we can send our children to, and the environment that they are brought up in are all vitally important - so have we been focusing on the wrong thing for too long? Is the breast vs. bottle debate actually irrelevant? At the end of the day it's a mother's choice, and she will do what she thinks is best for her child.
About the author
