Formula doesnt keep kids from gaining weight

Kids who were fed on formula for the first few months of life gained just as much weight up to age ten as those who were exclusively breastfed, according to new research from Germany.It has been unclear just what effect breastfeeding, compared to formula feeding, has on weight as an infant and later in life. The findings ease some early fears about stunted growth in babies fed certain types of formula.They also support the message that what happens to the childs diet after a year is probably much more important, said Dr. Michael Kramer, who researches infant feeding at The Montreal Childrens Hospital and wasnt involved in the new report.The study included 1,840 infants who were born in Germany between 1995 and 1998. Those infants were fed one of four different kinds of formula -- including cows milk formula and other hydrolyzed formulas that have broken down, easy-to-digest proteins -- or exclusively breastfed.The kids were at risk for allergies and researchers were also testing whether certain kinds of formulas could protect them from allergic reactions later in life.In past studies, the same researchers reported that when they brought the babies back in for a one-year check-up, those fed one kind of hydrolyzed high-protein formula had gained less weight, on average, than the other formula and breast-fed babies.Alison Ventura, a nutrition scientist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said that early weight gain isnt only about what babies are fed, but how they are fed.