Motor Function

When mothers make the important decision to either breastfeed, or bottle-feed, it is

obvious that they would like to make the best choice to ensure a healthy development of their

children. Deficits in the development of motor function attribute to a number of different health

disorders, and often lead to difficult treatments and expensive medications. To ensure that their

children have the best chance to develop proper motor function, mothers should be informed

about the benefits and risks of specific feeding methods.

In a study (Deoni et al., 2013), 133 children between the ages of 10-months-old, and 4-

years-old, were subjected to a number of different tests to assess multiple physical attributes. The

subjects were then categorized into three separate groups, which were exclusively breastfed,

exclusively bottle-fed, and a combination of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. MRI scans were

used to view white matter structure in the brain, and children were assessed using the Mullen

Scales of Early Learning in the study. When analyzing the Mullen gross motor raw score results,

breast feeding had a very slight advantage over bottle-feeding, but the combination of breast and

bottle-feeding had the highest score (Deoni et al., 2013, p.83). These results were somewhat

surprising, because it was expected that the breastfeeding group would have significantly better

results than the bottle-feeding group. Breastfeeding is the most commonly recommended option

in the medical field, with a lot of data to support it. Using the combination of both breastfeeding,

and bottle-feeding is not the most common method of feeding, but it could have some advantages

of its own.

In the same study (Deoni et al., 2013), there were also significant advantages of

exclusively breastfeeding shown, and the results were not close. “We have also shown extended

breastfeeding is positively associated with increased VFM in somatosensory, auditory and

language areas and, in turn, with increased language performance, visual reception and motor

control performance” (p.83). These results were much more aligned with the preferences and

recommendations commonly given in the medical field. With a positive correlation between

breastfeeding and motor function, this is an overwhelming advantage for the method of

exclusively breastfeeding. Along with more impressive results in other categories like speech, it

would be difficult to make an argument that exclusively bottle-feeding would be the superior

method of feeding, in regards to motor function development.

Furthermore, the same study also showed advantages to breastfeeding in the later stages

of development. “Our results show infant breastfeeding is associated with improved

developmental growth in late maturing white matter association regions” (Deoni et al., 2013,

p.85). It might be predictable that breastfeeding has advantages during the time period, when the

child consumes the breastmilk. Although, it is shown that these benefits might possibly last to

the later stages of development.

Motor function is a major developmental consideration when viewing the overall health

status of a child, and mothers could possibly improve the chances of a normal developmental

process by selecting the right feeding method. It seems as though breastfeeding certainly has

more solid data backing it as the better method of feeding, when considering the benefits it has

on motor function development. Including the possibility that there could also be long-term

developmental advantages associated with exclusively breastfeeding, it is easy to see why

breastfeeding is largely considered to be very advantageous, as well as a part of the natural

birthing process by many medical professionals.

breast milk is a complex living nutritional fluid that contains antibodies, enzymes and hormones all of
which include health benefits (Hoddinott, Tappin, Wright, 2008). These enzymes could improve gut
health which would eventually cause better absorption of nutrients and cause less incidents of diarrhea
which causes fluid imbalances and weight loss.

In the same study, it is stated that for each month of being breastfed, there is a 4% less chance of being
obese as a teen than if they were bottle fed

Another study showed that IQ is an area that is strongly affected by being breastfed

Breastfed infants are shown to have a more developed respiratory system and an increase in function
and productiveness of the gastrointestinal tract. (Grzelak, 2014)

The study states that exclusively breastfed infants receive frequent emotional care from their mother

When addressing the debate of breastfeeding versus formula-feeding, the majority of the

data favors the side of breastfeeding as the most advantageous method of feeding. After

reviewing multiple studies, breast feeding shows a wide-range of benefits. It is shown that

breastfeeding can improve gut health, as well lower the chances of obesity. Furthermore,

breastfeeding has shown a number of advantages in regards to neurodevelopment, improving IQ

and helping brain development. Also, infants who are breastfed commonly have a better

development of the respiratory system. Exclusively breastfed infants also receive valuable

bonding time and emotional care from their mothers, compared infants who are formula-fed.

When taking multiple developmental considerations into account, breastfeeding seems like the

more beneficial method of feeding, when compared to formula-feeding.

Deoni, S., Dean, D., Piryatinsky, I., O'Muircheartaigh J., Waskiewicz, N., Lehman, K., Han, M.,

& Dirks, H. (2010). Breastfeeding and early white matter development: A cross-sectional

study. Neuroimage, 82, 77-86. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3777218/pdf/main.pdf