Breastfed Babies 'Are More Cranky and Cry More'
New mums, please take note: if your baby becomes cranky frequently, don't panic — it is normal for breastfed babies to cry more, experts say.
Scientists at the UK's Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit found that breastfed babies get irritated more easily and cry more than formula-fed babies, who appear more content and easier to pacify.
The most common reason mothers give for stopping breastfeeding is "breast milk alone didn't satisfy my baby" — which the researchers said reflects the perception of irritability as a negative signal.
But this crankiness, they said, is normal and simply the baby's natural way of communicating needs to the mother — no cause for alarm. Some cries come from tiredness, not hunger. And the reason formula-fed babies seem so serene could well be that they are overfed, they added.
"Bottle-fed babies may appear more content, but research suggests that these infants may be over-nourished and gain weight too quickly," lead investigator Dr Ken Ong said.
"Our findings are essentially similar to other stages of life; people often find that eating is comforting."
In the study, the researchers asked more than 300 mothers to describe the temperament of their own baby and to state whether they were feeding by breast or bottle. Overall, 137 of the infants were exclusively breastfed, 88 were exclusively bottle-fed, and 91 received a mixture of formula and breast milk.
Breastfed babies were rated as having "more challenging temperaments" and tended to cry more.
Rosie Dodds, of the National Childbirth Trust, said the findings were useful for parents.
"Mothers and babies may experience starting to breastfeed as demanding or stressful in this society where bottle-feeding is seen as the norm and breastfeeding is unfamiliar to many new parents.
"It would be interesting to compare this with countries where almost all babies are breastfed.
"We often hear from mothers who say that once both they and their baby got the hang of it, breastfeeding was a breeze."
Ayurveda has long held that a new mother's own state — her food, rest and stress — flows straight through to her baby. If you are a running-on-empty new parent, how stress shows up in the body is worth a read.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your baby's feeding or health, talk to your clinician.
Sources
- Breast fed babies versus formula fed babies: Who is crankier? — News-Medical (reporting the MRC study)
- de Lauzon-Guillain B et al., Breastfeeding and Infant Temperament at Age Three Months — PLoS ONE, 2012
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