Benefits Of Breastfeeding

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The American Academy of Pediatrics articulates that, "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.”

Breastfeeding is beneficial for both mother and child physically and psychologically. It helps easy passage of nutrients and antibodies to baby and helps in the release of hormones into the mother's body. Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between baby and mother.

According to numerous studies, breast feeding lowers the risks of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other diseases. Breast suckling helps in the proper development of babies’ teeth and speech organ. Suckling also helps in preventing obstructive sleep apnea.

It’s been proven that breastfeeding helps lowering the risks of various diseases including Allergies, Asthma, Autoimmune thyroid diseases, Bacterial meningitis, Breast cancer, Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Eczema, Gastroenteritis, Hodgkin's lymphoma, Necrotizing enterocolitis, Multiple sclerosis, Obesity, Otitis media, Respiratory infection and wheezing, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Urinary tract infection.

Studies have revealed that breast milk has several anti-infective factors, which include the anti-malarial factor para-amino benzoic acid (PABA), the anti-amoebic factor BSSL, lactoferrin, the second most common protein in human milk, that binds to iron and inhibits the growth of intestinal bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, and IgA which protects breastfeeding infants from microbial infection.

According to A New Zealand study, breast milk contains the right amount of the amino acids cystine, methionine and taurine that are essential for neuronal (brain and nerve) development. The study was based on tracking over 1000 children for 8 to 18 years. It found small but measurable increases in cognitive ability and education achievement.

According to another study, in resource-poor settings where safe infant formula is unavailable, exclusive breastfeeding (as compared with "mixed" feeding where breastfeeding is combined with solids or animal milk) may reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child in infants less than 6 months old. Of course, exclusive formula feeding would reduce the risk even further, and this finding does not call into question the well-established contribution of breast-feeding to mother-to-child HIV transmission.

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Submitted by admin on Sat, 2007-04-21 10:44.

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