Breast milk enhances the DNA of babies and their immune systems, according to researchers at the University of Illinois in the United States. This means breastfed babies are better protected against disease.
Sharon Donovan is a U of I professor of nutrition. She notes: "For the first time, we can see that breast milk induces genetic pathways that are quite different from those in formula-fed infants. Although formula makers have tried to develop a product that’s as much like breast milk as possible, hundreds of genes were expressed differently in the breast-fed and formula-fed groups."
Breast milk also allows faster development of the child’s intestines which reduces intestinal hyperpermeability.
Professor Donovan goes on to say: "The intestinal tract of the newborn undergoes marked changes in response to feeding. And the response to human milk exceeds that of formula, suggesting that the bioactive components in breast milk are important in this response."
There are other advantages to breastfeeding rather than bottle feeding. Breast-fed babies have fewer allergies and inflammatory diseases such as asthma, inflammatory bowel and Crohn’s disease.
Breastfeeding is still not the first choice for many women though a woman should not feel guilty if she opts for the bottle. Some women are simply unable to breastfeed their child for a variety of reasons.