Benefits of Breastfeeding | Is it necessary for my child?

Benefits of Breastfeeding | Is it necessary for my child?

Breast milk is the best food for your child. Breastfeeding has many benefits for your child in several ways. And also several benefits for the mother.

You may have heard that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for at least six months. Why? Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to protect your baby’s health. We could save about 820,000 babies’ lives a year if everyone practiced breastfeeding.

The health benefits of breastfeeding

breastfeeding

Breast milk not only nourishes your baby’s body, it also protects it. It contains many living ingredients, including stem cells, white blood cells, and beneficial bacteria, and other bioactive components such as antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. Because of this, breast milk helps the body fight infections, prevents disease, and promotes healthy development.

Babies exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life are less likely to have diarrhea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, colds, flu, otitis media and respiratory infections, and aphthous stomatitis. In addition, breastfed babies are half as likely to have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or crib death) as formula-fed babies.

Of course, breastfed babies sometimes get sick, too, but breastfeeding a sick baby is even more beneficial. “If a baby or mother gets sick, breast milk increases its protective components,” explains Professor Peter Hartmann of the University of Western Australia, a world-renowned expert on lactation and breastfeeding, “Children who are breastfed usually recover faster, because the mother develops antibodies to the exact infection that the baby has contracted.

The beneficial effects of breastfeeding are not limited to nutrition and immunity strengthening. When your baby is upset or unwell, breastfeeding calms him down, which is also an important benefit. Studies have shown that breastfeeding during vaccinations relieves pain and calms the baby.

Benefits of breastfeeding for the child:

  1. Balanced diet and nutrients

Mother’s breast milk is a natural and essential food for newborns. It contains all the nutrients needed for a baby’s development and growth in the first months of life. Mother’s breast milk is the safest source of nutrients, vitamins, and energy because it does not contain any additional harmful substances.

Breast milk completely covers the baby’s nutrient requirements during the first six months of life, continues to meet at least half of the child’s nutrient requirements in the following months until one year of age, and covers one-third of those requirements during the second year of life.

  1. Protection from disease

The early start of breastfeeding – within the first hour after birth – provides high protection for the baby against infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal infections. According to WHO statistics, pure breastfeeding reduces the risk of death from pneumonia, influenza, and infectious diseases, it is proven that children recover faster and have lasting immunity.

Breastfeeding can give your baby immunity for the future against dangerous diseases like asthma and diabetes. Also, children and teens who received breast milk when they were breastfed are less likely to be overweight or obese in their older years.

  1. Sensory, cognitive, and intellectual bonding with the mother

It is breastfeeding that promotes an infant’s sensory and cognitive contact with the environment from the first months and lays the foundation for intellectual development. It is proven that breastfed babies develop and learn the world faster than babies on formula.

In addition, contact with the mother and psychological comfort is a pleasant bonuses for the baby in his or her daily growth.

The benefits of breast milk for premature infants

Breastfeeding a premature baby is the best protection against potentially fatal diseases, including sepsis, chronic lung disease, and necrotizing enterocolitis. In addition, premature babies who receive breast milk tend to be discharged from the hospital more quickly.

“Feeding a premature baby breast milk is the most beneficial thing you can do for him or her,” emphasizes Professor Hartmann, “Every drop counts. Treating physicians see breast milk not just as food, but as medicine

Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother:

  1. Protection from dangerous diseases. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer
  2. Psychological Condition. Breastfed moms are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression
  3. A strong emotional connection between mother and child. It is the established process of breastfeeding that contributes to a better emotional connection between mother and child and helps to strengthen family ties.
  4. Safety and comfort. Breastfeeding is a safe and reliable way to feed your baby. You don’t have to worry about the quality of the baby’s utensils, the cooking process, and the amount of nutrients in the formula.
  5. Natural contraception. Breastfeeding allows you to take a break between pregnancies because hormonal effects often cause the absence of menstruation.

The benefits of breastfeeding for your baby’s sleep

You may have heard that babies who are fed formula sleep better. However, this is just a myth. Studies show that formula-fed babies are just as likely to want to eat at night as breastfed babies. Breastfed babies, on the other hand, fall asleep faster. Oxytocin, which is produced in the baby’s body when suckling on the breast, puts the baby to sleep. And the hormones and nucleotides in breast milk promote healthy circadian rhythms (sleep patterns).

Breastfeeding and brain development

During the first six months of life, a baby’s brain grows rapidly: its mass almost doubles during this important period. According to a study conducted by American researchers, toddlers and preschoolers who were breastfed for at least three months during infancy have 20-30% more white matter, which links brain regions and transmits signals between them, compared to children who were not breastfed.

The importance of breastfeeding for brain development has been confirmed by studies from around the world. For example, British researchers found that 16-year-olds who were breastfed for at least six months as infants were more likely to achieve high test scores. And a study in Brazil found that people who were breastfed for at least a year as infants earned more by age 30.

Even adjusting for family income and maternal education, children who were exclusively breastfed were more likely to have higher IQs than children who were formula-fed. “This can be explained for a variety of reasons,” says Professor Hartmann, “One suggestion is that the long chain fatty acids present in breast milk, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have a positive effect on brain development and brain activity. “

One recent study suggests that breastfeeding is also beneficial for child behavior. A study of 10,000 children showed that those who were breastfed for more than four months were 30% less likely to have behavioral problems by age 5.

The benefits of breastfeeding in the long term

Breastfeeding isn’t just good for the first six months. The longer your baby receives breast milk, the more benefits it has, especially for his health.

Each breastfeeding raises levels of oxytocin (a love hormone) in the blood of your baby and mom, which helps to form and maintain an emotional bond between them. This is good for their future relationship and, moreover, can help your baby cope with stress more easily in adulthood.

Studies also show that children who were breastfed as infants are less likely to suffer from cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma and have sharper eyesight and straighter teeth. In addition, breastfeeding reduces a child’s risk of developing obesity and type 1 and type 2 diabetes24,25 in adulthood.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question “for how long is breastfeeding beneficial” is “for life. In addition, the longer you breastfeed, the more it benefits your own health.

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