Breast vs bottle: endocrine responses are different with formula feeding

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Endocrinology
• Infant Nutrition

Background:

• Pancreatic and gut hormone release differences between breast-fed and bottle-fed infants are not well-documented.
• Hormones play a crucial role in infant postnatal adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in pancreatic and gut-hormone release in response to feeding between breast-fed and bottle-fed neonates.
• To explore potential correlations between these hormonal differences and infant physiological outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 77 healthy, six-day-old term infants.
• Comparison of plasma hormone concentrations (insulin, motilin, enteroglucagon, neurotensin, pancreatic polypeptide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide) before and after feeding in two groups: breast-fed and bottle-fed (using 'Cow and Gate Premium' formula).

Main Results:

• Bottle-fed neonates exhibited significant plasma-concentration changes in insulin, motilin, enteroglucagon, neurotensin, and pancreatic polypeptide post-feeding.
• Breast-fed infants showed reduced or absent changes in these hormones.
• Basal levels of gastric inhibitory polypeptide, motilin, neurotensin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide were higher in bottle-fed infants.

Conclusions:

• Feeding method significantly impacts neonatal pancreatic and gut-hormone release.
• Observed hormonal differences may contribute to variations in subcutaneous fat deposition and stool frequency between breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.