Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Techniques for Investigating the Anatomy of the Ant Visual System
08:56

Techniques for Investigating the Anatomy of the Ant Visual System

Published on: November 27, 2017

14.2K

Comparative Effect of Feeding Human Milk as Opposed to Formula on Visual Function and Ocular Anatomy

Erdinç Bozkurt1, Hayrunnisa Bekis Bozkurt2, Mehmet Barış Üçer3

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey.

Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
|August 2, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Infant feeding methods impact eye health. Exclusive formula feeding in the first six months is linked to higher rates of allergic conjunctivitis and increased retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in children.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding and formula feeding, are crucial for early development.
  • Ocular health in children is influenced by various factors, including nutrition.
  • Previous research has explored the general health impacts of infant feeding, but specific ocular outcomes require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant feeding patterns (breast milk, formula, or combination) and ocular health outcomes in children.
  • To evaluate refractive errors, allergic conjunctivitis, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness based on early feeding practices.
  • To determine if specific feeding methods in the first six months influence these ocular parameters.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 121 children (aged 60-84 months) was divided into three groups based on feeding patterns in the first six months: exclusively breastfed, combination feeding, and exclusively formula-fed.
  • All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations.
  • Measurements included refractive error assessment, diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis, and optical coherence tomography for retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in refractive errors were observed among the feeding groups.
  • Children exclusively fed formula (Group 3) exhibited a significantly higher incidence of allergic conjunctivitis compared to the other groups.
  • Significantly greater RNFL thickness in superior quadrants was noted in exclusively formula-fed children (Group 3) compared to breastfed (Group 1) and combination-fed (Group 2) children.

Conclusions:

  • Infant feeding type in the first six months does not affect refractive error.
  • Exclusive formula feeding is associated with an increased risk of allergic conjunctivitis and altered RNFL thickness in children.
  • Further research, including larger cohorts and animal studies, is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind RNFL differences and confirm these findings.

Keywords:
allergic conjunctivitisbreastfeedingrefractive disorderretinal nerve fiber layer thickness

More Related Videos

Individualized Reconstitution of Human Milk Microbiota: A Feasible Approach in Real-World Settings04:16

Individualized Reconstitution of Human Milk Microbiota: A Feasible Approach in Real-World Settings

Published on: February 7, 2025

852
A Method for Targeted 16S Sequencing of Human Milk Samples09:09

A Method for Targeted 16S Sequencing of Human Milk Samples

Published on: March 23, 2018

10.3K

Related Concept Videos

Chemical Formulas02:52

Chemical Formulas

A chemical formula presents information about the proportions of atoms constituting a particular chemical compound or molecule, mainly using symbols of elements and numbers. At times other symbols, such as dashes, parentheses, brackets, commas, plus, and minus signs, are also used. A chemical formula can be one of three types – molecular, empirical, and structural.
60.9K
Ionic Compounds: Formulas and Nomenclature03:34

Ionic Compounds: Formulas and Nomenclature

An element composed of atoms that readily lose electrons (a metal) can react with an element composed of atoms that readily gain electrons (a nonmetal) to produce ions through complete electron transfer. The compound formed by this transfer is stabilized by the electrostatic attractions (ionic bonds) between the oppositely charged ions.
86.2K
Molecular Compounds: Formulas and Nomenclature03:10

Molecular Compounds: Formulas and Nomenclature

Molecular compounds or covalent compounds result when atoms share electrons to form covalent bonds. Since there is no electron transfer, molecular compounds do not contain ions; instead, they consist of discrete, neutral molecules. 
55.3K
Experimental Determination of Chemical Formula02:37

Experimental Determination of Chemical Formula

The elemental makeup of a compound defines its chemical identity, and chemical formulas are the most concise way of representing this elemental makeup. When a compound’s formula is unknown, measuring the mass of its constituent elements is often the first step in determining the formula experimentally.
46.4K
Formula Mass and Mole Concepts of Compounds02:56

Formula Mass and Mole Concepts of Compounds

Formula Mass of Covalent Compounds
80.6K
Anatomy of the Heart01:27

Anatomy of the Heart

The human heart is made up of three layers of tissue that are surrounded by the pericardium, a membrane that protects and confines the heart. The outermost layer, closest to the pericardium, is the epicardium. The pericardial cavity separates the pericardium from the epicardium. Beneath the epicardium is the myocardium, the middle layer, and the endocardium, the innermost layer. There are four chambers of the heart: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle.
119.4K