 | Breastfeeding: Encyclopedia II - Breastfeeding - Benefits
Breastfeeding - Benefits
The benefits of breastfeeding are both physical and psychological for both mother and child. Nutrients and antibodies are passed to the baby while hormones are released into the mother's system. The bond between baby and mother can also be strengthened during breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding - Benefits for the infant
Breastmilk, when fed directly from the breast, is immediately available with no wait and is at body temperature.
Breast fed babies have a decreased risk for several infant conditions including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The sucking technique required of the infant encourages the proper development of both the teeth and other speech organs.
The many health benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement, "Extensive research, especially in recent years, documents diverse and compelling advantages to infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and the use of human milk for infant feeding. These include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits."[3]
Breast milk helps to lower the risk of or protect against:
- Diabetes [4]
- Gastroenteritis [5]
- Diarrhoea [6] [7] [8] [9]
- Asthma [10]
- Allergies
- Urinary tract infections
- Chest infections and wheezing
- Ear infections
- Obesity [11] [12]
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Recent studies show that children who had been breastfed on average score higher on IQ tests than children who had not [13]. However, Jain (2002) said: Although the majority of studies concluded that breastfeeding promotes intelligence, the evidence from higher quality studies is less persuasive. [14]
Studies on eczema and breastfeeding give mixed results. One study said breastfeeding is protective [15]. However, a study from Germany found that breastfeeding was associated with higher social status, more eczema in the parents and an increased risk of eczema in the children. [16].
Breastfeeding - Benefits for the mother
Breastfeeding also benefits the mother. Breastfeeding releases hormones that have been found to relax the mother and cause her to experience nurturing feelings toward her infant. Breastfeeding as soon as possible after giving birth increases levels of oxytocin which encourages the womb to contract more quickly. This helps to decrease bleeding after the birth. Breastfeeding can also help the mother to return to her previous weight as the fat accumulated during pregnancy is used in milk production. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding delays the return of menstruation and fertility (known as lactational amenorrhoea). This allows for improved iron stores and the possibility of natural child spacing. Breastfeeding mothers experience improved bone re-mineralisation after the birth, and a reduced risk for both ovarian and breast cancer both before and after menopause.
Breastfeeding - Bonding
The maternal bond is strengthened through breastfeeding, with the hormonal releases strengthening the mother's nurturing feelings towards the child. Strengthening the maternal bond is very important as studies show that up to 80% of mothers suffer from some form of postpartum depression, though most cases are very mild. The father can support the mother in a variety of ways and is an important factor in successful breastfeeding [17]. This support can also help to establish the paternal bond in fathers.
Breastfeeding can also greatly affect the relationship between the partner and the child. While some fathers may feel left out when the mother is feeding the baby, others may see the whole process as a chance to bond as a family. Breastfeeding, possibly alongside birth-related health problems, takes a lot of time. This may add pressure to the father and the family, because the partner has to care for the mother and also perform tasks she would otherwise do. However, as fathers are often very willing to give this support, this pressure can help to strengthen family bonds.
When looking after the child while the mother is away, an alternative caregiver may feed the child using expressed breast milk (EBM). Sometimes this may be impractical as the mother must produce and store enough milk to feed the child for the duration of her absence. If the two caregivers are separated, feeding the breast milk may also be awkward. These two situations may prompt the carers to use an alternative feeding method for the child either temporarily or permanently. However, a variety of breastpumps now on the market, both for sale and for rent, make it possible for working mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for as long as they wish.
Breastfeeding - Recommendations and research
"Pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life[...] Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child."
– The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) [18]
"A vast majority of mothers can and should breastfeed, just as vast majority of infants can and should be breastfed. Only under exceptional circumstances can a mother's milk be considered as unsuitable for her infant. For those few health situations where infants cannot, or should not, be breastfed, the choice of the best alternative is: expressed milk from the infant's own mother, breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse or a human-milk bank, or a breast milk substitute fed with a cup, which is a safer method than a feeding bottle or a teat; depends on individual circumstances"
WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Geneva, World Health Assembly, May 2002, page 10 [19]
"If we allow the 'breast versus bottle' argument to be reduced to a simple issue of nutrition, we ignore the much greater potential breastfeeding has to enhance the lives of parents and children."
– Gill Rapley, deputy programme director of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative [20]
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005, pp. 496-506 American Academy of Pediatrics POLICY STATEMENT Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk "Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding.1 These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychologic, social, economic, and environmental benefits." Also from the policy statement: "In addition, postneonatal infant mortality rates in the United States are reduced by 21% in breastfed infants." PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005, pp. 496-506 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-2491)
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