Armed with an entire arsenal of literature, how-to books and advice passed on from previous generations, parents have become confused as to the best way to feed their infants.

In an effort to aid doctors and parents about the nutrition needed by babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently published an entire supplement in its journal, Pediatrics, which highlights the important information collected from six years' of research.

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The supplement is mainly based on the Infant Feeding Practices Study II. This study followed mothers and infants from the third trimester of pregnancy until the child turned one.

It then checked in on the babies when they turned six years old.

What researchers found was that children who were breastfed during their first few months were less likely to develop throat, ear and sinus infections. The likelihood of their developing food allergies and other respiratory infections were the same as with babies fed formula.

Also, children who were breastfeed did not have better "psychosocial" development compared to those who were not. Breastfeeding, however, did lead children to be more attuned to eating fruits and vegetables and drinking water instead of sweetened drinks.

During the first year, children given sweetened beverages and soda were twice likely to still be drinking these drinks and were also twice as likely to be obese and stay obese throughout their lives.

Those who didn't eat fruits and vegetables during their first year were unlikely to eat the food items when they turned six.

What surprised researchers was the behavior of mother who fed their babies with bottles filled with formula or pumped breast milk.

These mothers were likely to force kids to eat and finish all the food on their plate, putting the children at a higher risk of being obese.