Breastfeeding has been associated with many health benefits for mothers and their babies, including stronger immune systems for the children.
Now, a new study offers another reason to choose breastfeeding over formula: breastfed newborns may be at less risk for so-called “superbugs.”
University of Helsinki researchers found breastfeeding is linked to a reduction in bacteria resistant to antibiotics in babies’ gut microbiome. They found formula is associated with almost 70% more occurrence of genes associated with antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest health challenges in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, approximately 2.8 million people develop an antibiotic-resistant infection and more than 35,000 people die.
“Breastmilk is the primary source of nutrition for all infants, and its health benefits are of particular importance to premature infants,” lead study author Dr. Katariina Pärnänen said.
“The new findings indicate that breastfeeding premature and newborn infants also reduces the proliferation of bacteria resistant to antibiotics in the infant gut, thus potentially reducing the risk of difficult infections, which I consider a particularly important find due to the ever-increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance.”
