South coast Today, Scripps Howard News Service, Dec. 21, 2006 Researchers in recent weeks have given new moms even more scientific encouragement to breast-feed, but also delivered some caution about the impact drugs used to ease birth pangs might have on getting the process started. The best news comes from a study done at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. They found that breast-feeding protects children who might otherwise be highly susceptible to ear infections due to genetic traits affecting their immune systems.