Breastfed babies are likely to cry more

A recent study shows a link between higher levels of irritability in breastfed babies than formula fed babies. Though scientists suggest irritability and crankiness shouldn’t put mothers off breastfeeding and it’s still the best nutritional option for babies.

The majority of UK mums try to breastfeed their babies, though the rate drops to around one third after four months.  The most common reason stated for stopping breastfeeding and switching to formula milk is breastfeeding alone didn’t satisfy their babies.

The study carried out by the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, measured the temperament of over 300 babies at the age of three months, each mother completed a questionnaire relating to their babies mood.  The results differed between babies who were exclusively bottle-fed, breastfed or mixed-fed, showing that the breastfed babies studied had ‘more challenging temperaments’ and tended to cry more.

But scientists urge mothers to persevere with breastfeeding despite difficulties and warn this research may be misleading. Dr Ken Ong from the Medical Research Council comments “Bottle-fed babies may appear more content, but research suggests that these infants may be over-nourished and gain weight too quickly. Our findings are essentially similar to other stages of life; people often find that eating is comforting.”

For more information and support on breastfeeding, please visit NHS breastfeeding guide