The choice was
between exclusive formula feeding or exclusive breastfeeding.It has been shown that antiretroviral (ARV) drugs given to the mother and the baby can reduce transmission to a very low rate even if the baby is breastfed.
Not exact matches
(It's the same as researchers» insistence, nowadays, on a clear definition of «
exclusive breastfeeding»; it's only since the importance of this has been appreciated that the real differences
between breastfeeding and
formula feeding have begun to emerge.)
Formula supplementation has also been shown to increase
exclusive breastfeeding rates at 3 months in newborns who lose 5 %
between 24 and 48 hours.
What is interesting in these data is that there were clear differences
between exclusive breastfeeding and mixed - and
formula - feeding mothers, but there was no significant difference
between mixed - and
formula - feeding on any of the variables we looked at.
Although a few previous studies have found associations
between infant feeding and intestinal microbiome composition,9 - 12, 14 to our knowledge, none has examined the relative contribution of combination feeding (breast milk and
formula) alongside
exclusive formula or breastfeeding to overall microbial community composition.
Although there were no important differences in breastfeeding duration
between groups, there was a considerably longer duration of
exclusive breastfeeding (which was defined as providing only breast milk for the previous 24 h, but did allow
formula less than once per week) among women receiving the research bags (either alone or in combination with the research counseling [P < 0.01, 1 - tailed log rank test]-RRB- versus those not receiving research bags.
61 The distinction
between exclusive breastfeeding and partial breastfeeding in the analyses of the association
between breastfeeding and the risk for childhood leukemia is essential given that the addition of infant
formula, together with breast milk or instead of it, changes the infant's gut microbiota, affecting the immunology of the infant.62, 63 Thus, misclassification might weaken the association
between breastfeeding and lower risk for childhood leukemia.
Other limitations of the included studies were that some studies lacked the distinction
between exclusive breastfeeding, defined by the World Health Organization as «the infant has received only breast milk from his / her mother or a wet nurse, or expressed breast milk, and no other liquids or solids, with the exception of drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplements or medicines,» and partial breastfeeding, defined by the World Health Organization as «a situation where the baby is receiving some breastfeeds but is also being given other food or food - based fluids, such as
formula milk or weaning foods.»
Breastfeeding was categorised on a 7 - point scale from 7 =
exclusive breastfeeding (which was defined as no other milk or food, but infants may have received water and other liquids) through to
exclusive formula,
between these extremes of the scale there were various «intensities» of breastfeeding (e.g. > 50 % breast milk).