Breast milk is specially designed to fulfill the nutrient needs for an infant that formula feeding cannot amount to. This is the only fuel source that an infant needs for the first six months of life. The complexity of breast milk has shown to minimize the risks of acute infections such as ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, and SIDS. (1) It also minimizes the risks of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, allergies, and cancer. Breast milk meets all the nutrient needs that formula and cannot meet such as antibiotics, growth factors, enzymes, disease fighting stem cells, hormones, and others that is not found in formula.(1) Breast milk is composed mostly of water which prevents the infant from dehydration while packed with …show more content…
While considering the long lasting consequences of iron deficiency anemia it is important for an infant to partially breast feed for at least 6 months while introducing complementary foods that will promote iron absorption. Though the overall conclusion of this second study resulted in formula feeding as the most effective for nutrient intake it is apparent that cow’s milk is not a good replacement for breast milk or formula. This study does not draw a big enough conclusion and would need to be retested multiple times on a larger group. The data contradicts most of the information that is available from credible sources and other studies done in the field. The study did not take into consideration how many infants became sick within the first year nor had any other health concerns that come from the diet. This study provided information needed to emphasize the importance of iron absorption and nutrients of different milk options. Knowing that breast milk provides other important nutrients that cannot come from cow’s milk or formula out weights the results of the study. Risks of acute illness and chronic diseases was not presented in the study, it is known that exclusive breast feeding has a direct correlation of reducing these health risks. Breastmilk meets all of the nutrient needs of an infant while the study did provide that formula feeding does as well it was only a short term study. Other studies have presented that hospitals and pediatricians endorse the use of exclusive breast feeding after being discharged from the hospital. This research will help advance the field by influencing the importance and understanding of breast feeding and the nutrients available. Being able to expand the research experiment with more data on nutrient absorption and health conditions can be effective information to pass onto new mothers. The benefits both