Dataset Information

Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding.

ABSTRACT: Young children have unique nutritional requirements, and breastfeeding is the best option to support healthy growth and development. Concerns have been raised around the increasing use of milk-based infant formulas in replacement of breastfeeding, in regards to health, social, economic and environmental factors. However, literature on the environmental impact of infant formula feeding and breastfeeding is scarce. In this study we estimated the environmental impact of four months exclusive feeding with infant formula compared to four months exclusive breastfeeding in a Norwegian setting. We used life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, including the impact categories global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and land use. We found that the environmental impact of four months exclusive feeding with infant formula was 35-72% higher than that of four months exclusive breastfeeding, depending on the impact category. For infant formula, cow milk was the main contributor to total score for all impact categories. The environmental impact of breastfeeding was dependant on the composition of the lactating mother's diet. In conclusion, we found that breastfeeding has a lower environmental impact than feeding with infant formula. A limitation of the study is the use of secondary LCA data for raw ingredients and processes.

SUBMITTER: Andresen EC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9180168 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding.

Andresen Ellen Cecilie EC Hjelkrem Anne-Grete Roer AR Bakken Anne Kjersti AK Andersen Lene Frost LF

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220524 11

Young children have unique nutritional requirements, and breastfeeding is the best option to support healthy growth and development. Concerns have been raised around the increasing use of milk-based infant formulas in replacement of breastfeeding, in regards to health, social, economic and environmental factors. However, literature on the environmental impact of infant formula feeding and breastfeeding is scarce. In this study we estimated the environmental impact of four months exclusive feedin ...[more]

PMID: 35681983

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Project description:Breastfeeding is positively associated with several outcomes reflecting early brain development and cognitive functioning. Brain neuroimaging studies have shown that exclusively breastfed children have increased white matter and subcortical gray matter volume compared to formula-fed children. However, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of nutrition in breast milk from other confounding factors that affect brain development, particularly in studies of human subjects. Among the nutrients provided by human breast milk are the carotenoid lutein and the natural form of tocopherol, both of which are selectively deposited in brain. Lutein is the predominant carotenoid in breast milk but not in most infant formulas, whereas infant formulas are supplemented with the synthetic form of tocopherol. In this study, a non-human primate model was used to investigate the effects of breastfeeding versus formula-feeding, as well as lutein and natural RRR-α-tocopherol supplementation of infant formula, on brain maturation under controlled experimental conditions. Infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were exclusively breastfed, or were fed infant formulas with different levels and sources of lutein and α-tocopherol. Of note, the breastfed group were mother-reared whereas the formula-fed infants were nursery-reared. Brain structural and diffusion MR images were collected, and brain T2 was measured, at two, four and six months of age. The mother-reared breastfed group was observed to differ from the formula-fed groups by possessing higher diffusion fractional anisotropy (FA) in the corpus callosum, and lower FA in the cerebral cortex at four and six months of age. Cortical regions exhibiting the largest differences include primary motor, premotor, lateral prefrontal, and inferior temporal cortices. No differences were found between the formula groups. Although this study did not identify a nutritional component of breast milk that could be provided to infant formula to facilitate brain maturation consistent with that observed in breastfed animals, our findings indicate that breastfeeding promoted maturation of the corpus callosum and cerebral cortical gray matter in the absence of several confounding factors that affect studies in human infants. However, differences in rearing experience remain as a potential contributor to brain structural differences between breastfed and formula fed infants.

Project description:BackgroundWith increasing global rates of overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) along with undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is no exception. This review focuses on specific nutrition parameters among under five years children, namely ever breastfed, exclusive breastfeeding, mixed milk feeding, continued breastfeeding, bottle feeding, introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods and malnutrition.MethodologyPubMed, Google Scholar, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) databases, World Health Organization (WHO) databases, the World Bank databases and the Global Nutrition Report databases were explored between 10 January and 6 June 2022, to review the nutrition situation among under five years children in the EMR.ResultsThe regional average prevalence of ever breastfed, exclusive breastfeeding, mixed milk feeding, continued breastfeeding, bottle feeding, introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods was estimated at 84.3%, 30.9%, 42.9%, 41.5%, 32.1% and 69.3%, respectively. Iran, Iraq, Libya and Palestine have seen a decline over time in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding. Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reported early introduction of infant formula. Moreover, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates were seen to introduce food early to the child, at between 4-6 months of age. The estimated weighted regional averages for stunting, wasting and underweight were 20.3%, 8.9% and 13.1%, respectively. Of concern is the increasing prevalence of stunting in Libya. As for overweight and obesity, the average prevalence was reported to be 8.9% and 3%, respectively. Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait and Palestine showed an increased trend throughout this time.ConclusionsIn this review, the suboptimal infant and young child feeding patterns and the twofold incidence of malnutrition in the EMR are highlighted and we urge the prioritizing of measures to improve children's nutrition.

Project description:Early nutrition plays a dominant role in infant development and health. It is now understood that the infant diet impacts the gut microbiota and its relationship with gut function and brain development. However, its impact on the microbiota-gut-brain axis has not been studied in an integrative way. The objective here was to evaluate the effects of human milk (HM) or cow's milk based infant formula (IF) on the relationships between gut microbiota and the collective host intestinal-brain axis. Eighteen 10-day-old Yucatan mini-piglets were fed with HM or IF. Intestinal and fecal microbiota composition, intestinal phenotypic parameters, and the expression of genes involved in several gut and brain functions were determined. Unidimensional analyses were performed, followed by multifactorial analyses to evaluate the relationships among all the variables across the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Compared to IF, HM decreased the α-diversity of colonic and fecal microbiota and modified their composition. Piglets fed HM had a significantly higher ileal and colonic paracellular permeability assessed by ex vivo analysis, a lower expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins, and a higher expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune activity. In addition, the expression of genes involved in endocrine function, tryptophan metabolism and nutrient transport was modified mostly in the colon. These diet-induced intestinal modifications were associated with changes in the brain tissue expression of genes encoding the blood-brain barrier, endocrine function and short chain fatty acid receptors, mostly in hypothalamic and striatal areas. The integrative approach underlined specific groups of bacteria (Veillonellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, and Prevotellaceae) associated with changes in the gut-brain axis. There is a clear influence of the infant diet, even over a short dietary intervention period, on establishment of the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Project description:BackgroundIn May of 2022, parents living in the United States experienced a dramatic infant formula shortage caused by supply chain issues and the recall of several infant formula products over contamination concerns.MethodsAn anonymous, electronic, cross-sectional survey was designed to understand infant feeding practices, parental experience and perceived support during the crisis.ResultsNinety-nine parents that lived in the U.S. and fulfilled study criteria completed the survey. 66% of respondents were female, and 75% of respondents were recipients of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infant Children (WIC). Parental mean age was 30.0 years, and the mean infant age was 26.8 weeks. The number of individuals that used at least one unsafe infant feeding practice increased from 8% before the infant formula shortage to 48.5% during the shortage (p < 0.001). 79% of parents fed their infants U.S. infant formula brands and 39% of parents fed their infants imported infant formula brands before the shortage which were significantly reduced during the shortage to 27% (p < 0.005) and 11% (p < 0.005), respectively. The percentage of parents that reported infant feeding practices before and during the infant formula shortage significantly increased from 2 to 28% for banked donor milk use (p < 0.005); 5-26% for use of human milk from informal sharing (p < 0.005); and 2-29% for use of watered-down infant formula (p < 0.005). The resources that parents reported as most helpful in navigating the crisis differed by parental sex and WIC recipient status and included other parents, friends, and family; lactation consultants; healthcare providers; and WIC.ConclusionsOur study found that feeding practices in response to the infant formula shortage may pose health risks to infants including nutrition and food insecurity. These data suggest the need for policy changes within regulatory and the healthcare system to provide families with clinical prenatal and postnatal lactation support, access to pasteurized banked donor milk, and access to more commercially available products.

Dataset Information

Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding.

Publications

Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding.

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