Breast milk and hypertension

Mother's milk is the best food for the baby after all. New research suggests that babies fed on formula milk are more likely to have a high blood pressure when they grow up than breast fed ones. The study published in the latest issue of The Lancet, finds that children who are breast fed tend to have a lower blood pressure later in life than those who are given formula feeds early in infancy. The participants in the study were 926 children who were born prematurely. These children were divided into two groups – one fed on formula milk and the other on mother's milk. The formula-fed children were nominated on the basis of the inability of their mothers to breast feed their babies. These children were then followed up when they were 13-16 years old. The findings of the study indicated that children who had been fed on mother's milk had mean lower blood pressures than those who had been given nutrient rich formula foods. Though the study was conducted on infants born before term, it is equally relevant for babies born at full term since the researchers found no connection between the results and gestational age. The study follows other research which outlined positive effects of breast feeding during childhood. It is a well known fact that breast fed children tend to be healthier than those fed on baby formulas. Some research also shows that children who are breast fed are more intelligent than their formula fed counterparts.