Bottle fed babies are more prone than breastfed babies to:

OSSSC Nursing Officer-2021

Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)

Easy

Appeared in: OSSSC Nursing Officer-2021

Explanation

Breast milk provides passive immunity through antibodies (especially in colostrum) and anti-infective agents like lactoferrin, which protect the infant's gut from pathogens.
Breast milk contains a 'bifidus factor' that promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria (Lactobacilli) and inhibits harmful bacteria like E. coli, a common cause of diarrhea.
Bottle feeding introduces a significant risk of contamination from unsterilized bottles, teats, water, or improper formula handling, which can directly cause gastrointestinal infections.
Breastfed babies are more resistant to gastro-intestinal tract infections because breast milk is hygienic and contains factors that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines.

Option A: While breastfeeding does offer protection against respiratory infections like cough and cold, the protective effect against diarrhea is more direct and significant due to gut-specific immune factors and the high risk of contamination associated with bottle feeding.
Option C: Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection. Its transmission is related to direct contact and overall hygiene, not the infant's feeding method.
Option D: Tuberculosis (TB) is a respiratory infection transmitted via airborne droplets from an infected person. The method of feeding has no bearing on the risk of contracting TB.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Protective benefits of breastfeeding versus risks of formula feeding as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in educating new mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding and teaching correct, hygienic techniques for formula preparation if bottle-feeding is chosen.
Understanding these risks helps in quickly identifying potential causes of infant illness; for a bottle-fed infant with diarrhea, assessing feeding practices and hygiene is a primary nursing action.
What if? If a mother cannot breastfeed due to a medical condition (e.g., active untreated TB, certain medications), the nursing priority shifts from promoting breastfeeding to ensuring the mother can safely prepare and administer formula to minimize infection risk.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it's comparing the health risks of bottle-feeding versus breastfeeding.
Recall the primary benefits of breastfeeding. These are nutritional, immunological, and psychological.
Focus on the immunological benefits. Breast milk provides passive immunity, transferring antibodies and other anti-infective agents from mother to child, especially protecting the gastrointestinal tract.
Consider the mechanism of bottle-feeding. It introduces a significant risk of contamination if not done hygienically.
Evaluate the options. Which condition is most directly linked to both a lack of immune protection in the gut and a high risk of contamination? Diarrhea is the classic example.
Conclude that the combination of lost passive immunity and increased contamination risk makes diarrhea the most common and direct adverse outcome for bottle-fed babies compared to breastfed ones.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Protective benefits of breastfeeding versus risks of formula feeding
Stem keywords: Bottle fed babies, breastfed babies, more prone
Lead-in keywords: more prone than

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E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e pp. 126-128, 127-129